Message to OWS dictated while in Administrative Custody at SCI Mahanoy in Frackville, PA.

Thursday, December 15, 2011

My Friends of OWS,

My message will have to be brief. But let not this brevity take from it, its strength.

You are the central movement of the hour. You're raising questions that are in the hearts of millions. Your motto, "We are the 99%," has been heard, heeded, and responded to by millions. You can be certain that the 1% have heard you clearest of all.

Your work, however, is just beginning. You must deepen, strengthen, and further your work until it truly reaches the 99%, almost all of us: workers, black folk, Latinos and Latinas, LGBTs, immigrants, Asians, artists, all of us, for we are integral parts of the 99%. I salute you and hope fervently that you will grow beyond number.

Though I speak to you today by proxy, I'm confident that you will hear my voice soon.

383 Comments

I have been working at Occupy Wall Street since week 2. I am involved heavily in several working groups. I attend meetings and actions every day of the week. But this? This is bullshit. Here's the thing y'all. Yes, the criminal justice system is brutally unfair. It is racist. It is classist. It is broken beyond all repair. The prison industrial complex has swallowed any hopes that a poor black man ever had to a right to a fair trial in this country. HOWEVER, Mumia? Mumia is guilty as hell. Guilty, guilty, guilty. He stood over Officer Daniel Faulkner with a gun registered in his own name and shot him point blank in the face in front of multiple witnesses. Because of Mumia's involvement with The Black Panthers, because of his background as a guerilla journalist, and because of the undoubtedly racist climate of Frank Rizzo's police department in the 1980's, Mumia's conviction became a cause celebre. I do not believe in the death penalty. I think that our justice system is a sham. But slapping Mumia's face on the front of the OWS website is insulting and offensive to all of us who have worked so hard these past few months. This movement is about socio-economic inequality and corporate corruption. It is not about promoting the latest Free Mumia rally on campus. Please show some respect for the legions of us who have put in so much time, and do not glorify the convicted murderer of a police officer. No matter how many college kids wear his face on their shirts.

Thank you for so eloquently expressing how so many of us feel about this disturbing glorification of a self proclaimed murderer. I get the hate of that era but taking a human life is a crime against humanity regardless of what side of the issues you stand. Remove this headline quickly before it frames the conversation for the balance of this movements existence and causes loss of the very people that can amplify it's cause, Sad very sad.

As this and other conversations continue I can't help but hear the click of valued supporters turning off the noise of division caused by recent OWS bad decisions as highlighted here. Perhaps they are moving on with their lives and waiting for the next clear opportunity to become involved in a representative manner that fits the concept of effective justice. Perhaps some of it is the distraction of cold weather and the holidays, most likely it is some of everything.

Let us all keep in mind that this website has somehow strayed from the original purpose of bringing the lawbreakers of Wall Street and the Banks (Not all of Wall Street and all Banks, lets be definitive here) to justice and to effectively clear the way to get their influences out of our political system. Anything else at this point is a distraction and perhaps just part of OWS's growing pains.

It's time to take pause, reassess, analyze, give thanks and re-commit to the process of justice for all, planet wide. It will take time, something we all have, let's use it wisely by holding each other accountable and responsible for making it so.

If this is indeed your website, Kalle Lasn of "Adbusters", I say respectfully: PLEASE WAKE UP, Sir, your troll-infested site is in very serious trouble.

As many of us have already stated on this site, the forum admins have been INFILTRATED by right-wing elements, who are probably behind this extremely DIVISIVE Mumia post.

Judging from the 296 comments garnered so far, it seems clear to me that this kind of post is cleverly designed : 1 - to TURN OFF sincere OWS members and supporters; 2 - to provide the government with a pretext ("see, OWS are a bunch of radicals promoting murder of policemen") to close down this site and crack down hard on OWS.

W A K E - U P, people! We all suspected this site was infiltrated to a degree, but this post really takes the cake.

Wow, you see right-wing infiltration everywhere. Isn't it more likely that the entire movement has been drifting so significantly to the left that some admin thought it would be great to post the face of someone whose cause has been embraced by the left for years?

Is the justice system in this country fully functional? Absolutely not. There are serious issues ranging from the manner in which bail is set to the development of "assembly-line justice" in which plea bargains (which innocent men who are ill-equipped to win a trial may in fact take rather than risk a harsher sentence) to the woeful deficiency in competent public defenders (too few of them means caseloads that are so high that few cases actually go to trial) to the fact that you're actually more likely to find innocent men on Death Row than in the general prison population to the fact that the war on drugs almost exclusively targets young inner city males.

All of that is true. The fact of the matter remains that like it or not Mumia shot a cop and was in fact proud of it. Given the fact that the cop in question may well have been beating the shit out of somebody else there were extenuating circumstances, but even if that was the case the cop should have been hauled up on charges of assault, or at the very least disciplined for use of excessive force, not shot by a random passerby. The idea that what this man did is acceptable is not something we want to be promoting, intentionally or otherwise.

Accepting this man's endorsement to the point of putting it on our main page makes it appear that one of two things is true: either we're a bunch of lovey-dovey idiots who don't believe that there should be consequences meted out for committing crimes (which is not only patently false but really not going to sell well with ordinary people) or that we don't consider Mumia a criminal because we accept as morally just the shooting of police officers (which is even more false and makes for an even more inflammatory accusation).

Given the trouble we're already having with our image, embracing the endorsement of a convicted cop killer is a fast way to blacken ourselves even further in the eyes of mainstream America for no good reason. The letter needs to come off the site and Mumia needs to be told thanks but no thanks.

The content here needs support of an evenly balanced group conscience before posting. If it can be a real deal breaker for members of our support base, it's not even worth posting. If you make a mistake (you have and you'll make plenty more), admit it, correct it and move on. Controversy has it's price and we can't afford it.

Thank you Frances. I don't agree with many aspects of the OWS movement and I agree with many. But this website seems to have been co-opted to a degree by radical elements and I think you have posted a well thought coherent and correct post. Thank you.

I think I can sort of agree. It seems like a huge percentage of posts have gone way, way radical in a non reasonable way. It doesn't sound like the 99% as much as the 1% that run after conspiracy theories.

SelfReliant writes: "this website seems to have been co-opted to a degree by radical elements".

No... I think it's much more DEVIOUS and dangerous than that. As many of us have already stated on this forum, the forum admins have been INFILTRATED by right-wing elements, who are probably behind this Mumia post.

This kind of post is cleverly designed : 1 - to TURN OFF sincere OWS members and supporters; 2 - to provide the government with a pretext ("see, OWS are a bunch of radicals promoting murder of policemen") to close down this site and crack down hard on OWS.

W A K E - U P, people! We all knew this site was infiltrated to a degree, but this post really takes the cake.

I don't believe that. At the end of the day, one person put up this banner post. That person is wrong. If that person had the approval of 25 others, they are wrong. I believe murder is wrong, and to use moral comment from murderers to be incorrect. Perhaps others disagree and believe that this man is an appropriate spokesperson for the movement. I disagree

In my humble opinion no one is glorifying anyone or promoting the latest Free Mumia rally on campus. "Slapping Mumias face on the front of the OWS Website" may be insulting to you in particular but I don't believe you speak for everyone when you say it is insulting and offensive to all of us. I may be reading you wrong but it appears to me that in effect what you are saying is that only those who fit a certain criteria might be allowed to support the movement. My question to you is who makes that decision? While it is appreciated that you have been working since week 2 I don't think it is fair to exclude anyone who might be pro OWS from the movement. Thank you for your devotion and I appreciate your consideration of my thoughts on this.

Jack: Mumia is a convicted murderer that shows no remorse and has reveled in his savagery. He is certainly free to support this movement (or attempt to co-opt it for his own means??), but it is a HORRIBLE idea for this website to give his support any relevance at all.

To respond to your comment, yes he is a convicted murderer. That is a fact. Unless you have spoken to the man lately I have to assume that your statement about remorse and savagery are supposition and co-opting it for his own means is speculation. You are entitled to your opinion about HORRIBLE ideas.

If his name wasn't associated with his words would you consider them to be negative or inflammatory? Would you have a problem with them???

Back to my original question..... Who decides who is relevant and who isn't?

To Quote: howtooccupy.org

Welcome Everyone, Listen to Everyone

You will undoubtedly get crack pots and weirdos among you: if they want the megaphone, let them speak (at least once). The people will vote against them: I saw this happen on three separate occasions in Barcelona. I also saw a group of children welcomed into a general assembly and allowed to speak to the crowd. Dealing with confrontational people will build solidarity as a group and understanding of the difficulties marginalized people face in our society. And the beauty of the camp is it allows you to practice the very thing you’re fighting for- a society in which everyone is welcomed, listened to, respected and actualized.

Jack. You are clearly educated and intelligent. This man has a right to say whatever he wants to and support whatever he wishes to support. But It is hard to understand why someone like yourself who is intelligent would want to see such a person be highlighted by a movement that has much good to say, but can so easily be marginlized if it is perceived as affiliated with such a person.

If the movement cannot sustain itself on the principles of the movement and if the entire movement can be marginalized by the words of one man then the movement is doomed. Over time, what effect do you think proclaiming one mans voice to be less relevant than another mans voice will have on a movement?

Again..... Besides prejudice of a mans background, what is the basis for any one of us to censor someone or deem someones words any less relevant than our own? That is the fundamental question.

I know you feel strongly on this point and I must respect your view. For me, I would always have such a prejudice against proven societal deviants, be they murderers, child molesters, rapists, etc. Those people can certainly believe what they want and say what they want, but personally I would not want to have them connected with any worthwhile movement. I don't see how such connection or association can ever provide benefit to the movement and I do see tremendous potential for harm to the movement. I respect that you disagree though.

I'm wondering if you would also have the same views if Nelson Mandela publicly endorsed the movement.

I have no inner feelings either way. Until yesterday I didn't know who this man was. I have personally witnessed white Philadelphia police brutality on black men in the 70s so I am aware of the dynamics in that city between young black men and the police during that era to a degree. I am white and am not sympathetic or unsympathetic to that issue or this mans issue.

I am just looking at it logically. Excluding anyone who is affected by what we are all experiencing doesn't seem to serve the movements purpose in general. We are all in this together and we all have a stake in where it is going. Possibly creating enemies within the ranks by exclusion of anyone could eventually serve to divide the movement. That is my humble opinion........

Ok. I see where you are on this. Btw, I would absolutely not want to exclude a Nelson Mandela endorsement or connection, my view is that he is an amazing person, one of the points of light in the world. I think a connection to someone like him is a huge positive. But I could never see Mumia in the same way as Mandela, and see a Mumia connection as harmful.

They are both convicted criminals. Mumia appears to have acted in rage and not premeditation. Mandela on the other hand was the leader of the armed wing of the ANC. He admittedly planned bombing attacks if not carried them out. He is one of the "proven social deviants" that you spoke of earlier. Yet you say he is one of the points of light in the world and a connection to someone like him is a huge positive. In other words his criminality is acceptable and Mumias is not? Can you understand why I am having a hard time grasping your reasoning?

I am not judging either of the two. I am making a point. If Nelson Mandela were to send a letter of support I think it probably would be accepted by the majority of people here regardless of the mans violent history.

Which again brings up the question.... Who decides who is relevant and who isn't?

In my humble opinion everyone is relevant and everyone should be welcomed equally if they have something positive to contribute to the movement. Mumia spoke in a positive manner and has not contributed anything negative to the movement so why should he be shunned or ignored?

I find it hard to believe that a person who has been involved with OWS since week two would be surprised that they would present Mumia as a sort of folk hero. The Free Mumia types are the core of this movement. It had the potential to become something more substantial but they blew it. It's hard to believe that just a month ago this was still such a big story. Now it's pretty much irrelevant. OWS has definitely either jumped the shark or been eaten by it.

Hey Frances, thanks for your comment! But, all these years after some research, I was under the impression that it was unclear if Mumia was actually guilty; in every interview I have seen, it seemed unclear what actually happened the night the officer was killed because the evidence had been tampered with in order to assure a conviction.

If that is not true please correct me, I don't agree with violence but I do agree with self-defense when anyone looking to KILL you, and not simply evict you from a public space. I don't want to make this a racialize discussion, but what OWS faces is not exactly the same as what occurred against Blacks in the 1940s-70s and if I were there, I don't know how I would have responded, so I don't look to pass any judgement.

You can google Michael Smerconish, who has written extensively on this case, and is committed to keeping him in prison. The most damning circumstance against Abu-Jamal is that his brother witnessed the murder and has never spoken up in his defense.

Oh...you were there? I repudiate this entire argument on the basis of your not being an eyewitness. And no, I don't care what you read. YOU WEREN'T THERE.

I don't care whether you THINK he did it or not. The reason we have a justice system is so that people are punished for their crimes. As you write this, you become those crappy provisions in this year's NDAA we all fight against. You become someone who does not accept the word of a man who is now fighting for freedom for all from behind a jail cell, WHETHER OR NOT HE DID SOMETHING IN THE PAST.

Like you said, "the reason we have a justice system is so that people are punished for their crime", that's what's happening now to Mumia. It no longer matters what anyone thinks about this case. It's settled, the jury decided, the case has been reviewed and appealed, minor errors in jury instructions had the death penalty dropped. The man is a convicted murderer, end of story.

The focus on the actual case is not important. I find it disheartening that so many people here are focusing on vilifying a man and a situation that they weren't there to see. I have to think that it's some infiltration group that wants to split OWS along racial lines, so I'm not giving this argument any more credence.

I guess we all see what we want to see. I see them as vilifying a man duly tried and convicted of a serious crime. Reviews and appeals have confirmed his guilt. No one needs to have actually been present at some confirmed horror to condemn it. OWS condemns many things they haven't personally seen or experienced.

I agree with most of what you are saying, but recently reviews and appeals have pulled him off of death row and into a medium security prison. There is much more ambiguity in the case than you're acknowledging.

Either way I don't think it was particularly smart to put his face on OWS's website as he is such a contreversial figure and we really don't need to set up reasons for people to disagree with us.

It's funny you say that because even as I was reading his "Letter" to OWS I was thinking to myself, does this guy think he is the leader of the movement or something? Definatly a sociopath, and definatly a covicted murderer.

Screaming: Good grief, listen to yourself? Are you of sound mind ? Get a grip man. This man is a convicted murderer that shows no remorse. I was not there to observe Hitler, or Stalin, or Manson either, but have the good sense to condemn their actions. Think man.

What does that even mean man? Mandela is a great man, and Yes I would welcome his support (even though I have not "been there" with him). Similarly, I reject support from a Mumia, a convicted murderer, even though I have not been there with him. Mandela is a great man. Please do not try to equate him to Mumia.

"What does that even mean?"
Really? It's your logic that resulted in what seems a valid comparison. Reread what you've written, and it should be clear to you what it "even means." There's a way to engage in a discussion without being crass; try it.

the fact that its just as unclear whether or not that admission was true as whether or not Judge Sabo said "I'm gonna help the prosecution fry that nigger." Either way time is better spent on other things than arguing Mumia's case, which is all this post was ever bound to be.

There are a long series of appeals in thee cases, in all of them the only thing that any court has found fault with was the instructions to the jury for the penalty phase. The actual guilty verdict stood. The state could have reheard the case to get the death sentence back in, but chose to let it go with life without parole. The ambiguity only seems to be there when Mumia's supporters leave out bits of evidence or twist the truth.

I agree with your closing statement completely. At best he's a divisive case. His support is likely to do more harm then good.

And you weren't there to see it either so why are you defending him as if he were innocent? Also you claim that we have a justice system so that people can be punished for their crimes and that's exactly what happened. He's being punished for his crime.

Call it what you want, he has been found guilty, and his appeals have failed. You want to discuss the trial, go to a rally. You want to lose support for OWS, put his picture on the web site. This is one of the dumbest in a long line of dumb mistakes made by this leaderless movement.

@ TSH : You may well be an an intelligent person but are you also an open-minded and 'heart-centred' person ? Please refer to poster alouis's post below in reply to shifty2's post below and the good wishes of the season to you & yours.

I really appreciate your comments because I know that you have good intentions but please do not be so naive. You speak of the event as if you were there. You have been brainwashed and controlled by the media. This is why you believe he is guilty as hell as you call it. These same techniques explains why 1% can control 99%. For example, they emphasis his involvement with the black panther party to persuade you into believing that he's some cold blooded murder. When the truth is that you don't even know anything about the Black Panther Party but what media has been telling you. Have you ever studied that era and learned what that era was REALLY about.
This website is owned by the publisher of the Adbusters magazine in Vancouver, British Columbia whose name is Kalle Lasn. It is not owned by the activist organizers of the demonstrations and actions associated with Occupy Wall Street. Having said that, I support the website's decision to acknowledge Mumia's endorsement. This link has information about his case and his conviction. http://my.execpc.com/~ajrc/mumia.html
Voice of the Voiceless:The Case ofMumia Abu-Jamal
Published by A Job is a Right Campaign, Milwaukee, Wiscosnin.First Printing: July, 1995Fourth Update: February, 1999
This 20-page pamphlet is available in printed form from AJRC. Please senda check or money order for $.80 ($.25 for the pamphlet plus $.55 postage)payable to "AJRC" to: AJRC, PO Box 06053, Milwaukee, WI 53206. For bulkorders, call or fax: 414-374-1034.
In the early morning hours of December 8, 1981, Mumia Abu-Jamal was driving a cab in downtown Philadelphia, supplementing his income as a journalist. The bars were just letting out and the streets were full of people. Suddenly Mumia spotted a police officer beating a young Black man spread-eagled against his car. When he went to investigate, he discovered that it was his own younger brother, Bill Cook, who was being beaten.
Within minutes, Mumia was sitting slumped on the curbstone, critically injured with a gunshot wound in the abdomen. The police officer, Daniel Faulkner, lay dead. Other police arrived and took Faulkner to the morgue, waiting 45 minutes to carry Mumia to the hospital. Mumia arrived with his head bleeding after being thrown into a light pole by the arresting officers.Mumia Abu-Jamal was charged with murder.
By the time Mumia went to trial, he had already been tried and convicted by the news media. A former member of the Black Panther Party and now a radio journalist well-known for his exposes of police brutality, his political beliefs became central to the news coverage.During the sentencing phase of the trial, the judge allowed the state to use Mumia's membership in the Panthers to argue for the death penalty. In fact, the prosecution told the jury that Mumia's membership was evidence of his premeditation to kill. The following is just part of the exchange:
Question (to Mumia): Do you recall saying "All Power to the People?" Answer: Yes. Question: Do you believe your activity as well as your philosophy are consistent with the quote, "Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun?" Answer: I believe America has proven that quote to be true. Question: Do you recall saying that "The Black Panther Party is an uncompromising party, it faces reality"? Answer (Mumia, nodding affirmatively): Yes. By any standards, this was not a fair trial. Consider the following:
Mumia was tried before Judge Albert Sabo, who holds the record among sitting judges in the U.S. for handing out death sentences. Of the 31 people he has sentenced to death, all but two have been people of color. Sabo has also had a lifelong association with the Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police, the police "union" that has led the charge to have Mumia executed. Six former Philadelphia prosecutors have sworn in court documents that no accused could receive a fair trial in Sabo's court. The jury was impaneled only after eleven qualified African Americans were removed by peremptory challenges by the prosecution. As a result, in a city that is 40% Black, only two of the jurors were African American. It has recently been revealed that the practice of deliberately removing qualified Blacks from jury pools was taught to Philadelphia prosecutors in a special video training tape. Jamal was denied the right to act as his own attorney. His court-appointed lawyer later testified that he didn't interview a single witness in preparation for the trial and that he had informed the court in advance that he was not prepared. The lawyer was later disbarred for incompetency. Judge Sabo approved only a few hundred dollars for the defense to investigate the case, while Pennsylvania's average allocation in capital cases is $6,500. The defense investigator quit the case before the trial began because the meager funds were exhausted. Neither a ballistics expert nor a pathologist were hired. There was no physical evidence linking Mumia with the shooting of Faulkner. Mumia did have a gun that night, a licensed .38 caliber handgun he bought after having been robbed twice while driving cab. According to the written findings of the medical examiner, however, Faulkner was shot by a .44 caliber bullet. Jamal's lawyer said he didn't see that portion of the report, so he never raised it. (Hearing transcript, July 27, 1995, page 8 and Aug. 9, 1995, page 190, and exhibit D-26.) The police never tested Mumia's gun to determine if it had recently been fired, never tested his hands to see if he had fired a gun, and "lost" a bullet fragment removed by the medical examiner. (Trial transcript, June 23, 1982, pp. 108-113, 164-5, and hearing transcripts Aug. 2, 1995, pp. 57-63, 68-9, Aug. 4, 1995, pp. 40-42, and Aug. 9, 1995, page 151.)

This website is owned by the publisher of the Adbusters magazine in Vancouver, British Columbia whose name is Kalle Lasn. It is not owned by the activist organizers of the demonstrations and actions associated with Occupy Wall Street. Having said that, I support the website's decision to acknowledge Mumia's endorsement. This link has information about his case and his conviction. http://my.execpc.com/~ajrc/mumia.html
Voice of the Voiceless:The Case ofMumia Abu-Jamal
Published by A Job is a Right Campaign, Milwaukee, Wiscosnin.First Printing: July, 1995Fourth Update: February, 1999
This 20-page pamphlet is available in printed form from AJRC. Please senda check or money order for $.80 ($.25 for the pamphlet plus $.55 postage)payable to "AJRC" to: AJRC, PO Box 06053, Milwaukee, WI 53206. For bulkorders, call or fax: 414-374-1034.
In the early morning hours of December 8, 1981, Mumia Abu-Jamal was driving a cab in downtown Philadelphia, supplementing his income as a journalist. The bars were just letting out and the streets were full of people. Suddenly Mumia spotted a police officer beating a young Black man spread-eagled against his car. When he went to investigate, he discovered that it was his own younger brother, Bill Cook, who was being beaten.
Within minutes, Mumia was sitting slumped on the curbstone, critically injured with a gunshot wound in the abdomen. The police officer, Daniel Faulkner, lay dead. Other police arrived and took Faulkner to the morgue, waiting 45 minutes to carry Mumia to the hospital. Mumia arrived with his head bleeding after being thrown into a light pole by the arresting officers.Mumia Abu-Jamal was charged with murder.
By the time Mumia went to trial, he had already been tried and convicted by the news media. A former member of the Black Panther Party and now a radio journalist well-known for his exposes of police brutality, his political beliefs became central to the news coverage.During the sentencing phase of the trial, the judge allowed the state to use Mumia's membership in the Panthers to argue for the death penalty. In fact, the prosecution told the jury that Mumia's membership was evidence of his premeditation to kill. The following is just part of the exchange:
Question (to Mumia): Do you recall saying "All Power to the People?" Answer: Yes. Question: Do you believe your activity as well as your philosophy are consistent with the quote, "Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun?" Answer: I believe America has proven that quote to be true. Question: Do you recall saying that "The Black Panther Party is an uncompromising party, it faces reality"? Answer (Mumia, nodding affirmatively): Yes. By any standards, this was not a fair trial. Consider the following:
Mumia was tried before Judge Albert Sabo, who holds the record among sitting judges in the U.S. for handing out death sentences. Of the 31 people he has sentenced to death, all but two have been people of color. Sabo has also had a lifelong association with the Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police, the police "union" that has led the charge to have Mumia executed. Six former Philadelphia prosecutors have sworn in court documents that no accused could receive a fair trial in Sabo's court. The jury was impaneled only after eleven qualified African Americans were removed by peremptory challenges by the prosecution. As a result, in a city that is 40% Black, only two of the jurors were African American. It has recently been revealed that the practice of deliberately removing qualified Blacks from jury pools was taught to Philadelphia prosecutors in a special video training tape. Jamal was denied the right to act as his own attorney. His court-appointed lawyer later testified that he didn't interview a single witness in preparation for the trial and that he had informed the court in advance that he was not prepared. The lawyer was later disbarred for incompetency. Judge Sabo approved only a few hundred dollars for the defense to investigate the case, while Pennsylvania's average allocation in capital cases is $6,500. The defense investigator quit the case before the trial began because the meager funds were exhausted. Neither a ballistics expert nor a pathologist were hired. There was no physical evidence linking Mumia with the shooting of Faulkner. Mumia did have a gun that night, a licensed .38 caliber handgun he bought after having been robbed twice while driving cab. According to the written findings of the medical examiner, however, Faulkner was shot by a .44 caliber bullet. Jamal's lawyer said he didn't see that portion of the report, so he never raised it. (Hearing transcript, July 27, 1995, page 8 and Aug. 9, 1995, page 190, and exhibit D-26.) The police never tested Mumia's gun to determine if it had recently been fired, never tested his hands to see if he had fired a gun, and "lost" a bullet fragment removed by the medical examiner. (Trial transcript, June 23, 1982, pp. 108-113, 164-5, and hearing transcripts Aug. 2, 1995, pp. 57-63, 68-9, Aug. 4, 1995, pp. 40-42, and Aug. 9, 1995, page 151.)

Those who support Mumia Abu-Jamal often allege that the bullet removed from Officer Faulkner's brain was .44 caliber. Jamal's gun -- found on the ground next to him at the crime scene -- was a .38 caliber revolver. Therefore, his supporters argue, Jamal couldn't have fired the shot that killed Officer Faulkner.

When asked to provide proof to support this allegation, Jamal's supporters point to a handwritten note made by Assistant Medical Examiner, Dr. Paul Hoyer. Dr. Hoyer's note said, "shot 44 Cal".

Dr. Hoyer testified at the 1995 PCRA Hearing and explained that his 1981 note merely reflected his speculation at what caliber the bullet might be, made when he first saw the wound and before he started the autopsy. The note was written on a piece of scrap paper, and was not a part of (and was never intended to be a part of) his professional findings.

Some of Jamal's supporters, including his attorneys, have now altered this ".44 caliber" myth, and now argue that that there may be several fragments of the bullet "missing," and that if these fragments were the correct size and weight, they would prove that the bullet was .44 caliber. They have never offered any evidence, of any kind, to support this theory.

Frances...where is your outrage about Frank Rizzo odering the deaths and bombings of several little black children, women and men? You have no idea what the relationship between police and the black community is like. Infact it's insulting that your even commenting. They kill us with impunity everyday. We've been at war with them. Ya'll just getting started.

Really? It's insulting that I'm commenting? I think we are all entitled to our comments. Even if you disagree with me, I would never shame you for doing so. The Move tragedy, which I believe you are referring to here, was a shameful chapter in the history of Philadelphia. But I don't see how it's relevant to this discussion. If you re-read my statement I made it very clear that I feel that the criminal justice system is brutally biased against African-American men. I am not pretending otherwise. I just happen to believe that Mumia is guilty of his crime and therefore is not a man who should be glorified by OWS, despite his years of scholarly work.

really? your asking me that question? Did Mumia really murder him? And if so....should he have let the cop murder him instead? because you know that's what cops do to black people. They murder us. For all ya'll talk...ya'll still don't get it...but ya'll will.

Interesting point from someone who started this whole thread by adamantly denouncing the decision to include the words of a controversial figure on this Website. Words, I might add, that were in no way negative toward the movement.

Wouldn't you agree that your original statement projected a divisive attitude and has helped to fuel the divisiveness that we see here now?

Tolerance and understanding I believe is greater than exclusionary reactionism.

Actually I disagree completely. If you read something divisive in my initial statement then I would argue that you have colored my words with your own interpretation. I made it very clear that I do not think that African-American men are in any way treated fairly by our criminal justice system. Just because I do not believe in Mumia's innocence in no way implies that I am naive to the inherent bias in our system. My issue with Mumia's statement being given prominent placement on this site has nothing to do with his words, and nothing to do with his race. It has everything to do with the fact that he is a convicted murderer. Is it "exclusionary" to not want to be associated with a murderer? Perhaps you feel that it is. But as for myself, I joined a non-violent movement when I joined OWS, and as long as I am here I intend to keep arguing that it remains that way.

You first say... "the criminal justice system is brutally unfair. It is racist. It is classist. It is broken beyond all repair. The prison industrial complex has swallowed any hopes that a poor black man ever had to a right to a fair trial in this country." Then you say... " HOWEVER, Mumia? Mumia is guilty as hell. Guilty, guilty, guilty."

Based upon your first statement that a poor black man cannot get a fair trial in this country how can you in the next breath state categorically wihout having been a spectator at the shooting or the trial that Mumia did?

Your words are your own... I didn't color your words. You did a good job coloring your own words with.... "But this? This is bullshit." "HOWEVER, Mumia? Mumia is guilty as hell. Guilty, guilty, guilty. He stood over Officer Daniel Faulkner with a gun registered in his own name and shot him point blank in the face in front of multiple witnesses."

That reactionary statement is divisive in my opinion because it then set the stage for those of us who have no opinion on his guilt or innocence to defend his right to be heard as a human being sympathetic to the movement. It set the stage for those of us who believe that he is innocent to defend the man himself and his right to be heard as a human being sympathetic to the movement and it set the stage for those of us who believe he is guilty to bash him and say he has no rights to be heard at all.

The definition of divisive......

di·vi·sive (d-vsv)
adj.
Creating dissension or discord

It is exclusionary to want to exclude those who you personally have a distaste for and feel have no place in this movement. No one here has advocated violence so your statement "I joined a non-violent movement when I joined OWS, as long as I am here I intend to keep arguing that it remains that way." while very noble has nothing to do with the subject of someones right to be heard.

Today it's Mumia, tomorrow Nelson Mandela the next day it it's you. No one is immune to censorship once the ball gets rolling.

Sigh...oh for God's sake it's not censorship! I am not infringing on his "right to be heard". Mumia can say whatever he wants about OWS. My objection, for the upteenth time, is the prominent placement that this message has been given on this OWS site. Not the words. Not the message. To compare Mumia and Mandela is the same sentence is quite frankly gross. To equate Philadelphia in the 1980's to South Africa in the 1960's is breathtakingly ignorant. And while I appreciate your use of a dictionary to bolster your argument, I still feel that you are incorrect. Posting the initial statement from Mumia is divisive. My response to it is clearly a commonly felt sentiment amongst many in OWS. I didn't create dissent. I commented on it. And now I am tired of talking about all of this. What, is it a slow week in Montauk? Maybe go for a swim. Let's agree to disagree. a•gree (v) to come into or be in accord, as of opinion.

The suppression of words, images, or ideas that are "offensive," happens whenever some people succeed in imposing their personal political or moral values on others.

Regarding ignorance...... I would reread all you have written before making insinuations.

Regarding Montauk..... OWS appears to have lost mainstream media attention. See how the 1% live and bring your legions out east to their back yards and playgrounds next summer to occupy Gin Lane, Further Lane, Dune Road and Lilly Pond Lane. That's where all the fat cats live. I guarantee you will get some serious media attention. :)

So swimming is not your thing. I get that. Maybe go on a nature hike in the preserve, or take a bike ride along Montauk Highway. Clear your mind. Enjoy some fresh air. You can continue to accuse me of division and censorship, and I will continue to bake Christmas cookies for my family. The world will keep on turning and we will all argue on the Internet again another day. Happy Holidays JackStrawFromWichita! Keep staying true to your convictions.

Being the non violent, peaceful person that you portray yourself to be I think this is the perfect opportunity to show kindness and forgiveness toward your fellow man this holiday season. Instead of harboring these unkind thoughts toward someone you don't even know why not bake and send Mumia some of your cookies? It might help to clear your own mind of the negativity that you exhibit. :) Peace on earth. Good will toward man Frances.

I think there are enough black men in prison that are innocent and very deserving of our support and sympathies.

But I strongly believe this man is not one of them.

Despite all the conspiracy theories, Danny Faulkner was shot 5 times and the bullets were traced to a gun registered and carried by Mumia. Even if the conspiracy theories about him are true, he recklessly allowed a gun registered in his name to be used by someone else to murder a police officer. I am firm in my belief that if you choose to purchase and register a gun, you are 100% responsible for making sure that gun is used legally.

That said, I don't believe the death penalty, but keeping someone in prison for such a crime is necessary.

The burden of evidence should fall upon you to prove that someone else was in possession of that gun.

If you can't lock away the gun securely, then you're obviously guilty of a reckless disregard for the foreseeable consequences of someone else obtaining that gun.

Even if they do find out who was using that gun in a crime, you should still be locked up for negligence if you can't prove that you took all reasonable measures to make sure it didn't end up in someone else's possession.

The burden of evidence should fall upon you to prove your car was stolen and that you took all measures to report it to police.

Also, the gun is very distinct from the car. The gun does not have many purposes. It is to shoot. The car can be used responsibly and ownership of it is tracked heavily by the state. I simply want stricter laws than cars imposed on guns, which lack the nonviolent utility of cars.

Wonder if someone breaks into that place where you had the gun locked up..... because I doubt if there are many places where something can be 100% securely locked up where someone else can't break into it?

It can never be 100%, I agree. But, if you choose to own a gun, it shouldn't entail a complete lack of responsibilities that it does today. I believe there should be exemptions from persecution if you can prove that the gun was not in your possession, but for many people that buy a gun just to sell it to felons that can't purchase one, without notifying any authorities, and expect that the liabilities is out of their hands, that's complete bullshit and the laws should be changed. In my opinion.

Why on earth is OWS partnering with a beyond-a-shadow-of-a-doubt cop murderer? The evidence is irresputible that this person purposely shot a police officer at point blank range right in his head. OWS....you are loosing your way....do you really think Mumia is an innocent victim? He is a clever murdering con artist who knows how to use the media to practice his jail house lawyering to try to con his way to freedom, which hopefully will never happen. OWS...first you schedule a stupid "reoccupation" attempt which was bound to fail which it did (with 50 arrests) and then you use a message by a murderer to try to rally the troups? Time for a reality check . You are loosing more and more supporters due to your impulsive, irresponsible behaviors.

Blessings to Brother Mumia! He is aware, knows what is going on and we must not forget all our brothers and sisters who are imprisoned in Amerika's concentration camps, including Leonard Peltier.

Yes, #OWS is the central movement of the hour. Let is grow, expand and continue to develop all of it into a stronger multi-dimensional social movement for peace, justice and genuine democracy! @Peta_de_Aztlan

We need to comprehend the power of harmony, the urgency of unity. Let us support the humane rights of all prisoners, including Mumia and Leonard Peltier. There is question about the innocence of Mumia here, but let it not be a reason for us to start bashing each other. Yes, there is so much more to be revealed. Remember the importance of unity among all peoples in our collective struggles.

I support OWS. I live in Sacramento, California, support the on-going struggles for homeless people around here and am glad the OWS Movement has helped to revitalize that almost dead progressive movement in the USA. I think for myself.

Please do not forget the essentiality of unity among all humane beings, you do not have to always be right and you do not have to always get the last word. Respect one another, love one another, help one another.
Namaste, @Peta_de_Aztlan

Couldn't agree with this post more!
To the 14 year old at OWS website making all the decisions!
The post on your website (occupywallst.org) Mumia Abu-Jamal:”To My Friends Of OWS” condones violence, Mumia Abu-Jamal is a convicted murderer. He shot and killed a police officer in Philadelphia and is serving a life sentence. Your homage to him is disrespectful to the family and friends of the slain officer, and sends the wrong message to Occupy Wall Street Participants. Please take it off or you'll be eliminating many potential people from your group who will not join the cause because of your poorly chosen sponsorship of Jamal. Ows is getting further and further away from the capability at making any substantive change because of the tangents the organization wonders off into. This Jamal letter is a prime example, introducing violence and playing the race card is very much in my view contrary to OWS values.
I can get you CHARLES MANSON'S endorsement
would you like that!
Thank You

Mumia should have had two well placed shots behind the right ear for killing a policeman - I believe in the death sentence - street justice administered to the right person could be cleansing in this instance

How about David Koresh's surviving followers, maybe we can put together a Christmas Carol March in support of creating an OWS compound and arm ourselves to the teeth. Maybe combine it with Occupy Farms and streamline the process. I digress, but seriously folks, let's refocus on getting the money out of politics, putting the banksters away as Mumia's cell mates and correct the path most followed. Enough already... The man committed a crime, he's doing the time. If your intent was to popularize yourself with a lost cause and divide everyone to make OWS a lost cause as well you may have found a keystone. Peace and lets move forward to take the National Mall with one voice united!

There have been a couple of bad choices made for endorsement of one cause or another on here. Mumia is the worst probably though because many people know him. I do agree he's a distraction and has to be ignored.

Who is in charge of OWS Don't tell me on one, Some one is making these decisions that are alienating the true 99%, This one and the one where some people in charge came up with the idea to spend a few grand of donated money to go to Egypt to help negotiate peace, Still trying to reoccupy and getting arrested. OWS needs new leadership that will carry out the will of the people as was the original thought of OWS, You have got the attention of the country now work on incorporating real change in the USA

This website is owned by the publisher of the Adbusters magazine in Vancouver, British Columbia whose name is Kalle Lasn. It is not owned by the activist organizers of the demonstrations and actions associated with Occupy Wall Street. Having said that, I support the website's decision to acknowledge Mumia's endorsement. This link has information about his case and his conviction.
http://my.execpc.com/~ajrc/mumia.html

Voice of the Voiceless:The Case ofMumia Abu-Jamal

Published by A Job is a Right Campaign, Milwaukee, Wiscosnin.First Printing: July, 1995Fourth Update: February, 1999

This 20-page pamphlet is available in printed form from AJRC. Please senda check or money order for $.80 ($.25 for the pamphlet plus $.55 postage)payable to "AJRC" to: AJRC, PO Box 06053, Milwaukee, WI 53206. For bulkorders, call or fax: 414-374-1034.

In the early morning hours of December 8, 1981, Mumia Abu-Jamal was driving a cab in downtown Philadelphia, supplementing his income as a journalist. The bars were just letting out and the streets were full of people. Suddenly Mumia spotted a police officer beating a young Black man spread-eagled against his car. When he went to investigate, he discovered that it was his own younger brother, Bill Cook, who was being beaten.

Within minutes, Mumia was sitting slumped on the curbstone, critically injured with a gunshot wound in the abdomen. The police officer, Daniel Faulkner, lay dead. Other police arrived and took Faulkner to the morgue, waiting 45 minutes to carry Mumia to the hospital. Mumia arrived with his head bleeding after being thrown into a light pole by the arresting officers.Mumia Abu-Jamal was charged with murder.

By the time Mumia went to trial, he had already been tried and convicted by the news media. A former member of the Black Panther Party and now a radio journalist well-known for his exposes of police brutality, his political beliefs became central to the news coverage.During the sentencing phase of the trial, the judge allowed the state to use Mumia's membership in the Panthers to argue for the death penalty. In fact, the prosecution told the jury that Mumia's membership was evidence of his premeditation to kill. The following is just part of the exchange:

Question (to Mumia): Do you recall saying "All Power to the People?"
Answer: Yes.
Question: Do you believe your activity as well as your philosophy are consistent with the quote, "Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun?"
Answer: I believe America has proven that quote to be true.
Question: Do you recall saying that "The Black Panther Party is an uncompromising party, it faces reality"?
Answer (Mumia, nodding affirmatively): Yes.
By any standards, this was not a fair trial. Consider the following:

Mumia was tried before Judge Albert Sabo, who holds the record among sitting judges in the U.S. for handing out death sentences. Of the 31 people he has sentenced to death, all but two have been people of color. Sabo has also had a lifelong association with the Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police, the police "union" that has led the charge to have Mumia executed. Six former Philadelphia prosecutors have sworn in court documents that no accused could receive a fair trial in Sabo's court.
The jury was impaneled only after eleven qualified African Americans were removed by peremptory challenges by the prosecution. As a result, in a city that is 40% Black, only two of the jurors were African American. It has recently been revealed that the practice of deliberately removing qualified Blacks from jury pools was taught to Philadelphia prosecutors in a special video training tape.
Jamal was denied the right to act as his own attorney. His court-appointed lawyer later testified that he didn't interview a single witness in preparation for the trial and that he had informed the court in advance that he was not prepared. The lawyer was later disbarred for incompetency.
Judge Sabo approved only a few hundred dollars for the defense to investigate the case, while Pennsylvania's average allocation in capital cases is $6,500. The defense investigator quit the case before the trial began because the meager funds were exhausted. Neither a ballistics expert nor a pathologist were hired.
There was no physical evidence linking Mumia with the shooting of Faulkner. Mumia did have a gun that night, a licensed .38 caliber handgun he bought after having been robbed twice while driving cab. According to the written findings of the medical examiner, however, Faulkner was shot by a .44 caliber bullet. Jamal's lawyer said he didn't see that portion of the report, so he never raised it. (Hearing transcript, July 27, 1995, page 8 and Aug. 9, 1995, page 190, and exhibit D-26.)
The police never tested Mumia's gun to determine if it had recently been fired, never tested his hands to see if he had fired a gun, and "lost" a bullet fragment removed by the medical examiner. (Trial transcript, June 23, 1982, pp. 108-113, 164-5, and hearing transcripts Aug. 2, 1995, pp. 57-63, 68-9, Aug. 4, 1995, pp. 40-42, and Aug. 9, 1995, page 151.)

What about the incident where he confessed to police and a nurse, He said that he shot the mother efer And he hoped the mother efer was dead. I'm very sympathetic to people that are incarcerated and I believe we put many people in prison for reasons that are wrong, I don't believe in the death penalty, If I had not read the confession I would be on his side based on the information.

then it could go either way...it could be that mumia supporters are mis informed as to alleged things said by prosecutors or judges...and it could be that anti mumia people are mis informed about what the nurse and police said...anyone could be lying in this trial....

lso even tho Adbuster owns the web site some persons have to write and edit what goes on the site, Someone or OWS group makes the decision's, Which I see as no problem as long they get feed back from OWS as a leaderless movement, Example taking fund's donated for the betterment of America to go to Egypt to help negotiate freedom for Egypt. I have donated myself for American constitutional rights to be restored so we the people can take back this country from the so called leaders that only serve them selves.

On the morning of August 3 Philadelphia's largest Black-owned newspaper, the Philadelphia Tribune, hit the newsstands with an exclusive story: "Letter Contradicts Mumia's 'Confession': Philip Bloch Wrote Abu-Jamal Would Be Vindicated." Bloch was featured prominently in the August issue of Vanity Fair and a recent segment of ABC network's 20/20 program. He claimed that during a 1992 visit with Mumia at Huntingdon Prison, Mumia admitted to killing Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner. There was a week-long media frenzy, especially in Philadelphia, declaring that this new "evidence" once again confirmed Mumia's guilt, and he should now be executed.

But now the Tribune had the text of a letter from Philip Bloch written to Mumia after the alleged 1992 conversation. The author of the Tribune piece, Milton McGriff, wrote that Bloch's letter "expressed confidence that Abu-Jamal would be acquitted if he received a new trial."

At 9 a.m. on the same day, reporters crammed into a tiny studio at radio station WHAT-AM in Philadelphia for a press conference announcing this stunning new evidence in Mumia's case. The press conference was aired live on the Bill Anderson Show. Last month, Mumia called in live from death row to this same talk show to refute Bloch's allegation. The participants in the press conference were: Tribune reporter Milton McGriff; Linn Washington, journalist and professor; Leonard Weinglass, Mumia's lead attorney; C. Clark Kissinger of Refuse & Resist and contributing writer to the RW; Pam Africa, International Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal; and two Mumia supporters. It was broadcast live on the national show Democracy NOW on the Pacifica network, New York's WLIB and WCXJ in Pittsburgh. Two taped statements by Mumia were also played--his initial response to Bloch's allegations and the article "Anatomy of the Lie," his commentary on Bloch's letter (see accompanying article).

So-called "confessions" have been a big part of the frame-up and railroad of Mumia Abu-Jamal from the start. With Bloch's allegation, Mumia's enemies claimed to have a brand new "confession" tale. But, like the other "confessions" claims, this one has turned out to be a flat-out lie. And Mumia and his supporters have indisputable evidence--in the form of black ink on paper, written by the very person that claims to have heard Mumia "confess." to read more go tothe link provided.

What in hell does discussing An Incarcerated persons innocents or guilt have to do with a movement that is supposed to be for matters pertaining to the betterment of America. If we keep getting sidetracked we will never accomplish anything, There are a million things that could be addressed but until we get America back on track and the people have some say as to how this country is run it does no good to discuss the innocence or guilt of anyone. And mean time there is no good to come from this article read the posts, At least in the USA I can still voice my opinion.

I agree. I am a bit nonplussed that people who say they support OWS are spending so much time attacking a man who's already done 30 years on death row and whose trial is controversial, who says he is innocent and who is a world wide respected voice of progressivism. Occupy Wall Street demonstrated with supporters of Troy Davis, also a convicted murderer who said he was innocent till his last breath on this earth. I didn't see such an uproar about that from supposed OWS activists and supporters.

He's on the scene. He is carrying a .38 revolver that he purchased for self-protection as a taxi cab driver (he was arrested with holster on). Faulker is beating up his brother (?). Faulkner is shot 5 times with a .38 (the suggestion of it being a .44 was discredited). Mumia is also shot. Mumia's revolver has 5 spent shell casing.

Is there question of whether the trial was fair or whether he did it or not? From what I read, the trial was a circus - but much of that was mumia's doing. He wanted to make it into a political struggle, not about the truth.

If you believe he didn't do it - why do you think the officers would have framed him? The police want to find the person that did it - they aren't interested in sacrificing one of their officers just to get mumia in jail.

rank Serpico Biography
www.americanswhotellthetruth.org/pgs/portraits/Frank_Serpico.phpAs a consequence of his testimony before the commission, Serpico was ostracized by his peers and, many believe, ultimately “set up” to be shot during a drug ...

So you think the officers set up Faulkner, using Abu-jamal as the trigger man and then arrested him for the crime? Or are you suggesting that there was someone else there that did the shooting and Abu-jamal just happened to be on the scene as a lucky convenience?

I have several friends who are or who were cops. They tell me there's more corruption on the inside than there is on the outside. I'm not making a statement about Mumia specifically, but to assume cops are 100% innocent and always do the right, lawful, moral thing and aren't corrupt is an oversight.

So, you're going to base you opinion on "several friends" who are cops. I hardly think that is an adequate sample of the law enforcement population. Are there bad cops? Yes there are - but the numbers are infinitesimally small compared to the total number of police in the US. I do believe, however, that every one we find should be tried as a common criminal and go to prison. Be that as it may - that is irrelevant to this case. Even if this was a set up, how could they have orchestrated all of these things in order to get this one man framed so neatly? If they wanted to get rid of Faulkner (which they didn't) they wouldn't have done it in the middle of the street.

Cop corruption is pretty widespread and notorious. Some got caught in the Bronx because for some strange reason the Bronx DA went after a ticket fixing ring (no other DA has done that). 1,500 off duty cops show up at the courthouse to scream that they ought to be able to fix tickets for their friends and families, and to harass a group of poor people waiting to apply for food stamps.

Mental illness that drives a need for attention or a delusion about wanting to be the grand villain. Confessions from crazy people are quite common, but there are always details that a crazy person will not know about, because they weren't there. Prosecutors and defense have to carefully evaluate each confession, and in this case both sides decides that this was not credible. If the defense puts all their eggs into the Beverly basket and his confession gets shredded in court, then they only solidify the case against their client.

It is obvious that you have done some reading, but i am afraid it is one sided. Spend some time on www.danielfaulkner.com to balance out your perspective.

Who came with the idea of posting this article in this so called leaderless movement? Was it adbusters it had to be someone just curious. Are things like this voted on by the peoples movement, Are the majority of the movement for this type of article, If not how did it come to be? It seem's some people don't care what the majority want's there for there must be a leader that makes decisions.

I, ARNOLD R. BEVERLY, state that the following facts are true and correct:

I was present when police officer Daniel Faulkner was shot and killed in the early morning hours of December 9, 1981 near the corner of Locust and 13th Streets. I have personal knowledge that Mumia Abu-Jamal did not shoot police officer Faulkner.

I was hired, along with another guy, and paid to shoot and kill Faulkner. I had heard that Faulkner was a problem for the mob and corrupt policemen because he interfered with the graft and payoffs made to allow illegal activity including prostitution, gambling, drugs without prosecution in the center city area.

Faulkner was shot in the back and then in the face before Jamal came on the scene. Jamal had nothing to do with the shooting.

Before the shooting, I was shown a picture of Faulkner and told that Faulkner was supposed to check something at Johnny D's (at 13th and Locust) sometime in the early morning hours of December 9.

Two of us were hired for the shooting so that either of us could take the opportunity to make the hit, get the job done, and leave. The other guy gave me a .38 caliber policeman’s special and I was also carrying my own .22 caliber revolver.

I waited at the speedline entrance at the north east of corner of Locust and 13th at the parking lot, I was wearing a green (camouflage) army jacket. The other guy waited on the south side of Locust Street east of 13th Street towards Camac Street.

While I was waiting at the speedline entrance for Faulkner to arrive at the location, I saw police officers in the area. Two undercover policemen were standing on the west side of 13th north of Locust. Also a uniformed police officer was sitting in a car in the corner of the parking lot. They were there while the shooting of Faulkner took place. I was not worried about the police being there since I believed that since I was hired by the mob to shoot and kill Faulkner, any police Officers on the scene would be there to help me.

After a while I saw Faulkner get out of a small police car parked behind a VW parked on Locust Street, east of 13th St. Faulkner was alone. He got out of the police car end went up to the VW.

I heard a shot ring out coming from east on Locust Street, Faulkner fell on his knee on the sidewalk next to the VW. I heard another shot and it must have grazed my left shoulder. I felt something hard on my left shoulder. I grabbed at my shoulder and got blood on my hand.

I ran across Locust Street and stood over Faulkner, who had fallen backwards on the sidewalk, I shot Faulkner in the face at close range. Jamal was shot shortly after that by a uniformed police officer who arrived on the scene.

Cop cars came from all directions. Foot patrol also arrived. I saw a white shirt getting out of a car in the middle of the 13th & Locust intersection just as I was going down to the speedline steps.

I left the area underground through the speedline system and by pre-arrangement met a police officer who assisted me when I exited the speedline underground about three blocks away. A car was waiting for me and I left the center city area.

The foregoing is stated subject to the penalties of 18 Pa.C.S. Section 4904 relating to unsworn falsification to authorities.

I don't know what happened during those "minutes" though clearly there was some kind of a tussle. It's not unusual for people involved in such intense situations not to remember things in exact sequence. Years ago, probably before you were born, I was arrested, beaten and thrown down a precinct house staircase for an anti Vietnam War demonstration. I really couldn't give an exact timeline for that, I was too preoccupied to look at my watch right then.

As a citizen interested that justice be done you might ask the following: "What happened to crime scene protection protocol? Why weren't Mumia's hands tested for traces of gunpowder? How do the cops "lose" a portion of the bullet taken from Faulkner's body thus making it impossible to definitively determine from what gun it came, or even its caliber.???????????

Two other important statements, also released at the May 4 news conference, add credibility to the story of police corruption and complicity in the shooting of Daniel Faulkner.

Donald Hersing states that he worked undercover for the FBI during the early 1980s, investigating graft that reached high into the police infrastructure to buy protection for those who ran prostitution, drug and gambling operations in Philadelphia. As a direct result of his testimony more than two dozen Philadelphia cops were indicted by a federal grand jury, including a former Deputy Commissioner.

In the final affidavit, Linn Washington, a respected journalist for the Philadelphia Daily News, tells of his visit to the crime scene only a few hours after the shooting of Faulkner. Unlike on previous occasions when police officers were shot, there was no attempt to cordon off the crime scene so that further investigations could take place. This was always standard procedure.

Generally, public spaces would be off limits for days under such circumstances. In this case, however, there was not even a police officer on guard, and pedestrian traffic was moving freely through the area.

For those familiar with the facts previously known about Mumia's case, Washington's testimony is particularly significant. One of the striking things has always been the failure by police to undertake elementary tests, routine in any case of murder with a firearm when a suspect is apprehended within a short time.

Mumia's gun, the alleged murder weapon, was not tested to see if it had been fired. (This requires simply sniffing the barrel.) Nor were his hands tested to see if he had actually fired a gun. And later a portion of the bullet taken from Faulkner's body was "lost" by the police, thus making it impossible to definitively determine from what gun it came, or even its caliber.

Such an outrageously negligent "investigation" of the crime is hard to explain if the police were really interested in finding out who killed Faulkner. It is, however, entirely consistent with the story Beverly tells, of a police department complicit in corruption and in the killing of Faulkner, and out to engineer a frame-up of Mumia.

"How do the cops "lose" a portion of the bullet taken from Faulkner's body thus making it impossible to definitively determine from what gun it came, or even its caliber.???????????"

Official ballistics tests done on the fatal bullet verify that Officer Faulkner was killed by a .38 caliber bullet, not a .44 caliber bullet. The fatal .38 slug was a Federal brand Special +P bullet with a hollow base (the hollow base in a +P bullet was distinctive to Federal ammunition at that time). It is the exact type (+P with a hollow base), brand (Federal), and caliber (.38) of bullet found in Jamal's gun. Additionally, tests have proven that the bullet that killed Officer Faulkner was fired from a weapon with the same rifling characteristics as Jamal's .38 Caliber revolver. Further, Jamal's own ballistics expert, George Fassnacht, conceded in his 1995 PCRA testimony that the fatal bullet was not .44 caliber, and that it was most "likely" a .38. Although the D.A.'s officer offered in open court to let Jamal's attorneys test the fatal bullet, they refused this offer, and have never offered any alternative test results to counter the above evidence. Dr. James Hoyer's handwritten notation on a piece of scrap paper certainly does not constitute such evidence. Dr. Hoyer, a medical doctor who has had no formal ballistics training, has never claimed that he was able to determine the caliber of the bullet. He plainly testified in 1995 that what he wrote was a "guess." Furthermore, Dr. Hoyer testified that, after writing this guess, he had measured the bullet with a standard ruler. Although he acknowledged that this was not the accepted scientific method by which to gage the caliber of a bullet, his rough measurement was consistent with the slug being .38 caliber, and not a .44. Finally, Dr. Hoyer testified that, at the time he made his .44 caliber guess -- while looking at the horrendous wound to Officer Faulkner's head -- he was unaware that the killer had been using high-velocity +P ammunition. Had he known this, he would not have assumed that the slug was of an unusually large caliber.

Comprehension is a weak part of you isn't it? The doctor testified it typically would have been notations that would have been thrown away after his official report was prepared. That is not unusual. Police reports are prepared by notes and then the notes are thrown away after the official report is prepared.

When taken with all the other inconsistencies in the prosecution case (see the photos) one would be forgiven for being a bit suspicious of this thrown away note. If the doctor says he can't tell what caliber bullet he is handling then why would he write down the number "44"?

Finally, Dr. Hoyer testified that, at the time he made his .44 caliber guess -- while looking at the horrendous wound to Officer Faulkner's head -- he was unaware that the killer had been using high-velocity +P ammunition. Had he known this, he would not have assumed that the slug was of an unusually large caliber.

Finally, the inconsistencies in the prosecution case are made only by Mumia's supporters and have been disproved by various legal experts, attorneys, and the courts of appeal.

Again?
When taken with all the other inconsistencies in the prosecution case (see the photos) one would be forgiven for being a bit suspicious of this thrown away note. If the doctor says he can't tell what caliber bullet he is handling then why would he write down the number "44"?

We are going in circles here. Let whoever passes by this post read and make a decision for herself.

This declaration has been found not to be credible by Mumia's own defense attorneys.

One of Abu-Jamal's attorneys, Partisan Defense Committee member Rachel Wolkenstein, found Beverly in 1999 and presented him and his affidavit to Abu-Jamal and the rest of the legal team. Lead attorney Leonard Weinglass and legal strategist Daniel Williams advised Abu-Jamal that Beverly was neither credible nor an asset to his case while Wolkenstein and her colleague Jon Piper argued in favor of Beverly's testimony. Abu-Jamal decided to take the advice of his more senior attorneys and not present Beverly in the appeal process, leading Wolkenstein and Piper to resign in protest.
In 2001, Williams published Executing Justice: An Inside Account of the Case of Mumia Abu-Jamal, in which he says he "wasn't about to embarrass myself by running with such a patently outrageous story on the most visible death-penalty case in the world." He also says that Abu-Jamal decided not to use Beverly because Abu-Jamal was "far too honorable to propagate a lie upon which to build a case for his freedom."

(re edit) I had heard that there was a split in the defense because of the confession, or perhaps "confession." I'm wondering what would have motivated Beverly to make that confession if it were not true.

On July 19, Federal District Judge William Yohn issued a 13- page ruling in which he turned down a petition filed by the new legal counsel representing African American political prisoner and journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal. In essence, Yohn refused to accept the confession of Arnold Beverly as an addition to a writ of habeas corpus filed originally in this particular court on Oct. 15, 1999.

The federal district court is the only high court that could automatically grant Abu-Jamal the right to an evidentiary hearing. He has requested such a hearing, at which he could present new evidence in his case, based on 29 violations of the U.S. Constitution carried out during his original sham trial. These 29 violations were outlined in the original writ of habeas corpus.

An evidentiary hearing would allow all suppressed evidence to finally be heard. But this negative ruling by Yohn makes it less likely that the evidentiary hearing will ever happen.

Arnold Beverly signed an affidavit stating that he was a hit man who had been hired and paid by the mob to kill a white policeman, Daniel Faulkner, on Dec. 9, 1981, in Philadelphia. Abu-Jamal was accused and subsequently convicted of that killing. He has been languishing on death row since July 3, 1982, and could face execution once his federal appeals have been exhausted. Two death warrants have been signed by the Pennsylvania governor and then withdrawn under mass pressure during Abu-Jamal's state appeals.

The worldwide political movement to "Free Mumia" has stated since its very existence that the real reason Abu-Jamal faces a legal lynching stems from his revolutionary opposition to all forms of racist and class oppression. Many within the growing anti-globalization movement have embraced Abu-Jamal as the most recognizable symbol of resistance to the racist use of the death penalty inside the U.S.

This most recent petition filed by Abu-Jamal's new legal counsel--Marlene Kamish, Eliot Grossman and Nick Brown-- explained that Beverly's confession about killing Faulkner was first made in a deposition on June 8, 1999. The main motivation Beverly gave for the murder was that "Faulkner was a problem for the mob and corrupt policemen because he interfered with the graft and payoffs made to all illegal activity including prostitution, gambling and drugs with prosecution in the center city area."

Listen there is no reason for us to talk about this, Regardless weather he is guilty or not what possible good can come from this article, As you can see from the post's it is causing people to be upset and I am upset too, The OWS have so far been effective at getting the message out in a positive way for the most part, Don't they know the only way to enact changes in our Country is to bring the true 99% together in masses then and only then will it work, This type of article can only divide the people and has no business being on our site. The people that have an issue with this type of article and the direction the movement is taking should stand together to make changes inside our movement, If we can't have a real and truthful dialog among ourselves then what chance is there to stand against the corruption in government ?

Look at the support Mumia has had. His cause is not some fringe cause. He appears to have been a revolutionary leader who chanced onto a situation that ended up getting him framed up. If you or any other activist, especially an OWS activist were to be framed up you would not want to be abandoned, and a movement that would do that would be seriously flawed.

This links to a list of personalities and geroups that have in some public way supported Mumia. It is put out by the Fraternal Order of Police. Some included are:

What is the point , There still is no good to come out of this article. When this movement started it was stated the first thing was to go after the large issue of implementing change in our government so that we the people have a voice in politics, Then tackle the individual grievances , This is the same thing our government does, Every congress person has their own small agenda and nothing get accomplished on a larger scale. And my personal opinion is interviewing people that are incarcerated does nothing positive for the movement, Read the post's.

Thank-you 'alouis' for taking the time and trouble to post this excellent and necessary post. May your post be closely read by many here and elsewhere. The very best wishes of the season to you and yours.

When I first saw videos of OWS people being expelled from Wall Street to Zuccotti Park, the protesters were appealing to the police stating that the NYPD were part of the 99 percent. I was impressed since they did not reflect the typical extreme left wing anti police hatred that is so prevalent in the left. I had seen signs on YouTube, and when I visited the park in October stating that the NYPD were part of the 99 percent. I had received a flyer in October from a communist loser attacking the police, which I dismissed as not part of the original organizers of OWS. I have seen various other communist losers in Zuccotti Park back in October as well.

Including a letter from cop killer Mumia Abu-Jamal right after a NY police officer has been killed by a loser shows complete incompetence by the OWS website. You do not represent the working people of America.

I am 100% with Occupy Wall Street. However, I do not see any difference between a CEO that destroys human lives by reducing production of un-profitable drugs that can save human lives and a person who violently murders another person. Families are destroyed forever. The CEO and the Murderer are part of the same 1% and their Victims are the 99%. We must wake up and Not Glorify the 1%.

I find it highly offensive that a group of people supposedly dedicated to freedom from opression would so carelessly assume that just because Mumia was found guilty (in a case that was widely known to be corrupt) means he's a murderer. Consider the following:
(1) Procedurally and legally, no one should be denied innocence until a constitutional and fair trail has been provided. With the long list of distinguished jurists and human rights analyses that decry the many violations at trial, Mumia’s guilt remains unestablished.
(2) Those who know Mumia, his personal history, character, beliefs, principles,career development and convictions, argue that it is inconceivable that Mumia could be guilty of the cold-blooded murder of Officer Faulkner.
(3) The fourth person at the crime scene, Kenneth Freeman, who was riding in the car with Mumia’s brother and who fled the crime scene (a fact never heard or considered by the jury) was also known by his acquaintences to be harboring rancor, grievances and a temper under conditions of widespread and frequent police violence suffered by him and other citizens in 1970s and 1980s Philadelphia. Freeman as shooter has not been even considered by the courts, but that he was the shooter is more plausible than believing Mumia to be. (In 1985, Freeman was found dead in a Northeast Philly lot, reportedly hand-cuffed, naked and gagged, with a drug needle jabbed in his arm, the morning after Philadelphia police dropped a military explosive on MOVE headquarters, letting a fire burn out of control destroying over 50 blocks of West Philly.)
(4) During and after the time of Mumia’s arrest, trial and conviction, police were often convicted of corrupt procedures and of fabricating the guilt of defendants – all of which also makes plausible that Mumia, too, was “framed,” especially since he had so long been routinely singled out by police and authorities for his reporting on police violence in Philadelphia. It is known, for example, that in 1981, police and prosecutors framed four men: the first two of the four were acquitted in trials, one in 1982, and the second after spending 1,375 days on death row; the other two men spent nearly 20 years in prison for murder before released on DNA evidence and confessions by the real killers.

-If Mumia, whose freedom has been lobbied for by many world leaders, Nobel Laureates etc. wants to support the movement, let him. Who are you to deem him guilty. The man is a life long advocate for human rights!

I try to refrain from reading the comment section of most posts because, much like this one, people tend to run off spouting their opinion or something that they learned from the mainstream media and take it for fact. I am a Mumia supporter and perhaps those of you that are quick to say he is a convicted cop killer (which is indeed fact, he was convicted) need to brush up on the case before siding with this very justice system that most of us can agree is rigged.

There was a fourth person at the scene at the time of the murder, a man by the name of Kenneth Freeman, a fact which was stated by witnesses that saw a man fleeing after the officer was shot, but which was not told to the jury until well into the case. He was later found dead in a ditch with a needle in his arm. Coincidence?

There have also been studies that show that because of how Mumia was shot and how he was supposedly standing over the officer, there is no way the bullet could have taken the path that it did.

There is also evidence that has surfaced of police mishandling evidence, such as the gun, being held by a police officer without gloves and who testified under oath that all the evidence was handled correctly. A total of 35 of the officers in Mumia's case were later charged, convicted, and served jail time for police misconduct and tampering with evidence. This leaves open the possibility of Mumia being framed.

I have been part of the Occupy movement since before September 17th and I am a proud Mumia Abu Jamal supporter. This article is NOT a disgrace, but what is is that so many people in this world are still blind to all the corruption and rigging that is going on worldwide. WAKE UP! That's what this movement is for, is to have an open discussion, a dialogue about situations such as these. Tear off your blinders people, before it's too late.

In 1999, Arnold Beverly claimed that he and an unnamed assailant, not Mumia Abu-Jamal, shot Daniel Faulkner as part of a contract killing because Faulkner was interfering with graft and payoff to corrupt police.[60] The Beverly affidavit became an item of division for Mumia's defense team, as some thought it usable and others rejected Beverly's story as "not credible".[61]

Private investigator George Newman claimed in 2001 that Chobert had recanted his testimony.[62] Commentators also noted that police and news photographs of the crime scene did not show Chobert's taxi, and that Cynthia White, the only witness at the trial to testify to seeing the taxi, had previously provided crime scene descriptions that omitted it.[63] Cynthia White was declared to be dead by the state of New Jersey in 1992 although Pamela Jenkins claimed that she saw White alive as late as 1997.[64] Mumia supporters often claim that White was a police informant and that she falsified her testimony against Abu-Jamal.[65] Priscilla Durham's step-brother, Kenneth Pate, who was imprisoned with Abu-Jamal on other charges, has since claimed that Durham admitted to not hearing the hospital confession.[66] The hospital doctors have stated that Abu-Jamal was not capable of making such a dramatic bedside confession at that time.[1] In 2008, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania rejected a further request from Abu-Jamal for a hearing into claims that the trial witnesses perjured themselves on the grounds that he had waited too long before filing the appeal.

I'm afraid not. And part of the reason is that OWS (which I fully support, if anyway I wonder why did it take so long!) keeps on defining that 1% wrongly.

The 1% is the one that OWNS THE COUNTRY. Not the ones that make the cut of top 1% wage, which is correlated with meritocracy.

The top 1% to defeat are the ASSET OWNERS, not the INCOME EARNERS. Those asset owners (that own 70% of the country) have all of us 99% by the balls. If OWS keeps on using "income" instead of "asset ownership" they just feed the opponents that claim we are against "successful hard workers".

We are against trust funders, we are against a playing field that's so unlevel that's lunacy to consider education as a way to bring that gap down. Asset ownership inequality is what needs to be fixed for capitalism to work.

Frances...where is your outrage about Frank Rizzo odering the deaths and bombings of several little black children, women and men? You have no idea what the relationship between police and the black community is like. Infact it's insulting that your even commenting. They kill us with impunity everyday. We've been at war with them. Ya'll just getting started.

In my humble opinion the mans conviction for the original crime is not the issue. Man is an animal and will sometimes do things in rage or the heat of the moment that are morally reprehensible to society. I don't beleive that someone buys a gun and registers it in his own name for the purpose of premeditated murder. That being said he is serving his time in living hell for the crime that he was convicted of.

Beyond that, his relentless struggle while serving his time in prison in the face of overwhelming odds should serve as an inspiration to those in this movement. You have already been judged, convicted and sentenced by a society that has been brainwashed by the media, corporations and the government. You should be as relentless in your own stuggle to overcome those obstacles.

I am 58 years old and I am amazed by the sheep my own age who look down upon the OWStreeters and choose not to see what is going on in this country because it doesn't affect them personally. I am also amazed and moved by the young people who are finally standing up to this out of control machine. I've seen what was going on for years and like my fellow sheep didn't want to make waves or rock the boat because it didn't affect me and life was, for the most part good. I am inspired by you and I admire you. I would hope that you will learn from this mans life and not judge this mans life.

LMAO. What a coincidence. I was just sitting here and I figured I'd see what my leftist OWS friends were up to, I started thinking about greed and corruption and I thought you know, maybe those guys have a point, I'm going to give them another chance. And this was on the front page. LOL.

You people are nuts and that's why these problems won't get fixed. You've discredited the good things about the left. You have some good points about cronyism in the gov't etc. but besides that, pretty much everything else you do and think is absolutely fucking insane. And that's why America remains a center-right country.

"anglishe" EDITED VERSION ----To the owner of the name OccupyWallsSt, and or to the publisher of this letter and it's picture: I feel the letter is not news, but it could make undesirable news by associating protestors as being supportive of this celebrity. There's probably a disclaimer that I missed, if so please accept my apology. If not, I'd suggest one that says that the opinions expressed are not necessarily shared by the administrators or contributors to this website.
If you want to poll us about an issue, or you want to endorse a celebrity, then I think you have an obligation to state why.

Take this off it is horrible will effect the movement negatively
OWS should stay out of this, now your condoning killing police.
Are you now going to have something to say about every convicted
murderer!
This is a BIG step backwards!

Here's the Deal. I am 100% with Occupy Wall Street. This guy is in prison for murder. Have you ever met anyone in prison who got a fair trial or was guilty? Yes, it is true, that the average person of color is going to be profiled and harassed more than white people and that obviously is NOT right and needs to be changed. But, by the time someone gets into the penitentiary they have earned their trip. REMEMBER, these guys almost Always commit crimes Against the 99%, they rarely commit crimes against the 1%.

@ 'Titt' : Eh ?! "... they have earned their trip."?!! Really ?!!! Which 'THEY' ?? D'you think that you may be doin' a little "profiling" there yourself ? + "and that obviously is NOT right and needs to be changed." ~{:-p) et nosce te ipsum ...

What did you "assume" that I'd assumed ? Unlike his acceptance that people of colour ought not be profiled and harassed, by saying "someone" he clearly means "everyone" in penitentiary as having "earned their trip". This is profiling.

Further, I'm sure that he wouldn't want to hide behind your skirt, so he'll speak for himself if he wishes to, no doubt.

Mumia Abu Jamal's Death Sentence has been rescinded. Based On The Evidence. Thus, for a reason ...

You read what you wanted to read in his comment, but it's not important enough to argue over. I don't know what's in other people's heart or mind.

Mumia's death sentence wasn't rescinded based on the evidence. It was based on the instructions given to the jury. Had there been something found lacking in the evidence the judges would have thrown out the conviction.

He could have still been sentenced to death, if the prosecutor had wanted to hold another penalty hearing. After so much time they decided to let it go to life without parole. No one has overturned his guilty verdict, he stands today as he has been every day since his trial, a convicted murderer.

And thats where he will remain untill he no longer is......Im very familiar with the Pennsylvania system of justice....he will serve the sentence meted out to him as he so deserves. He is using every possible way he can think of to garner support and make himself out to be something he is not.....a politcal prisoner! He is nothing more than a convicted muderer....end of story.

MsSt@cy : You are obviously an intelligent person but are you also an open-minded and 'heart-centred' person ? Please refer to poster 'the exchange between posters 'alouis' and 'shifty2' above. The good wishes of the season to you & yours.

I read about the case a couple of years ago. He was wounded, found at the scene wearing an empty shoulder holster with the gun near him. There were two witnesses that identified him as the shooter, he admitted he did it to two other witnesses at the hospital.

His disruptive behavior had him removed as his own defense council, he had only character witnesses and the "some other dude did it" defense. His own brother wouldn't testify for him.

Alouis seems willing to ignore the witnesses and find fault with the judge. The judge may or may not have been racist, but there is no real evidence for that other then one person claiming he made a biased statement and the judge denying it. The appeals court that rescinded the death penalty agreed only that jury instructions for the penalty phase were improper. There have been numerous appeals and the conviction stands.

I think it is a great website. I monitor several Yahoo Groups, but these days am mainly on Twitter. We need to allow the open expressions of others, even if at times it gets raunchy. Sometimes Moderators get a power hype and become control freaks. Beware! Yes, we should respect one another and avoid name calling. If we know everything we can learn nothing.
Namaste~ @Peta_de_Aztlan

I wonder if it has occurred to anyone that he denies it because he DIDN'T DO IT. It is no secret the abuses heaped upon African Americans since the founding of this country whether it be the failure of the criminal justice system, police brutality, police set-ups to ensure conviction etc, etc etc. Denial of race based oppression IS racism regardless of if it is due to ignorance. The very fact that they took him off of death row SHOULD be a clue. The programming of American minds runs deeper than most people are willing to understand or admit and I think the Mandela comments are a testament to that. Mandela is a BRAND just like Coca-Cola and they packaged it up so nicely that many people have gotten comfy with it and believe that his name is synonymous with progress when really it's exactly the opposite. The prison industrial complex is a multi-billion dollar business making money off the backs of people of color and poor whites (yes, slavery continues even today) while the 1% continue to rape, kill, rob and plunder with little to no consequences. African-American people have been marginalized for generations in America and to participate in that by suggesting a post on a website is turning people off to an entire movement suggests that maybe it's time for some internal reflection on how you as an individual feel about True Equality for ALL. If you don't like the post, move on...there are plenty of other posts which don't contain anything as pertinent as blatant racism. But to believe that racism is not, or should not, be a part of the OWS discussion is just plain naive.

What this man did was wrong, I agree. What some of you don't understand is that this is only a taste of what is to come if the movement nation-wide, as a whole, does not get better organized. If you look across a lot of the cities in America, half of their Facebook pages are all over the place with issues. It seems there is a need for some of the OWS members to travel to these other locations and educate these groups and help them get better organized. Clear and concise demands need to be in order for our government to even have the chance of creating change. People are posting about issues, although still important, it seems that they aren't grasping the bigger picture. There are many, many, many young people today that DON'T EVEN UNDERSTAND HOW THEIR GOVERNMENT OPERATES, LET ALONE WHO THEIR PRESIDENT IS!!! It is ignorance and fear that are keeping the 99% from making a bigger impact. I am so proud of this movement and I appreciate that people from all walks of life are coming to the podium with different issues. It's refreshing that they are able to stand together with so many differing opinions, however, they will only dilute its purpose by the continued refusal to focus on the issue that our government stinks ROYALLY; the ways in which they handle our economy, and their repeated failure to regulate what the 1% are doing to the rest of us. I'm not saying that these other issues aren't important, but it's extremely difficult to create change in the social issues that we face when that same 1% are the ones that are pretty much running our country in the financial sector. It takes an organized thought, and a bigger movement to create change! Please don't lose sight of what's really going on. Read. Educate yourselves. If you don't understand it, find someone who knows what's going on and ask them to explain it to you; from the beginning. It's going to take more than what a lot of these smaller cities are doing to make this change possible! Happy holidays everyone.

OK i bet that if you misguided commie bums didn't spend all day trashing up downtown and got jobs rather than have an attitude that your entitled to something that you have not worked for this economic mess would get mopped up alot quicker and all these comments the NYPD police brutality please cut the bullshit they're hard working Americans earning and honest living

I've scanned through the voluminous comments and forgive me if what I am about to state has already been said, but, if OWS believes and uses non-violent tactics, then why is someone who obviously used violence highlighted here?

Congrats adbusters, you managed to kill off a movement, saving the right wing the work. I lost my job two years ago and now work three part-time jobs, trying to make ends meet. I was thrilled to be part of the movement of the 99 percent, fighting for equality. I rearranged my work schedule, just to take part in protests.

Your putting up of a letter from this hate monger betrayed all of us. My pins are off, posters are down. I spent time today going to the five area stores who put up ows posters and the paper at my request, having them pull up this page and asking them to make a decision on keeping the posters up. All five took the material down.

This week a NYPD officer was laid to rest due to being gunned down. Bad taste at any time to put up this letter, but especially now.
When people are marching with posters I don't agree with, I can deal with it; but when the official site of ows puts up a letter from this convicted killer, it means I would be marching for a cause espousing hate.
Great job promoting the cause of a man who devoted his life to spewing hate.

I live a life of peace, but your group does not, despite your claims to the contrary.

That is such a touching story. I am sure that adbusters is touched by it as well. But I don't get the sense from your words that you were ever really committed to "fighting for equality". Someone puts up a letter of support for the movement from someone that you don't like and suddenly you would be marching for a cause espousing hate? I didn't see any hate in that letter I also don't see anyone promoting a cause. Your words sound more like you are pouting because things aren't going your way.

If you truly live a life of peace then why don't you try to get along with everyone and project your feelings of peace? It's so much more rewarding than calling people hate mongers and betrayers.

Great post......Frances....and you bring up some very valid points. Its people like Mumia Abu-Jamal that will just use a movement such as OWS to their own means and for whatever they feel they may get out of it.I just had a nephew who was released from Frackville...the very same where Mumia Abu-Jamal is incarcerated and he had a few stories that he related to me though for his personal asking of me I will not relate them and they involved this Mumia Abu-Jamal....so this should give OWS leaders who post these things something to think about ....is he really a political prisoner or just a criminal who belongs where he is? I do believe in the cause that OWS represents I just really feel that when decisions are made such as put his photo up there that we represent what he stands for....do we? I know that I myself most certainly don't and from what I read I do think a lot of other people feel the same.....at least remove his image until the time he is able to justify his actions and what he truly stands for.....personally I say he is using this platform in a bid to win his freedom. Please dont allow the !% to divide and conquer as is their nature....remove that post of Mumia Abu-Jamal and show that 1% that we will not stand divided and we will not allow them to conquer us.......let us stand together in unity and finish what we began....to take back what rightfully belongs to the people of this great country,our government and our freedoms.....these are what I thought were some of the main goals of OWS amongst other....so lets not get sidetracked and derailed by being divided and then conquered......take back America and take back our Freedoms and if by chance that includes anything Mumia may be entitled to let the true justice system that we may restore be the decider of that when that time may arrive. Untill then let OWS finish what it has begun and all power to the people of this country and those involved in OWS!!

This movement is probably very unpopular with the government. His appeals are exhausted. He is doing life without parole.Can you explain how he might be using this place as a platform in a bid to win his freedom?

Funny how this movement likes to put a light on police brutality and social injustices when it pertains toOWS protestors .....but soon as people stand up for a man that is outside of the OWS bubble you so called revolutionaries get cold feet and run for your white privilege ... I am easy to contact and will lady talk with anyone who needs more insight on the case ......... Remind me what Democracy looks like again because this isn't it

I hope these anti Mumia Comments are people who just want to cause division and not truly people who Claim to be freedom fighters ....... I will not do the cowardice thing and hide behind a screen name....if you are involved with wallstreet you know who I am but incase you don't this is Malik from Occupy The Hood ...first thinge before you go all anti Mumia read up on the case and read the facts.... not some racist rendition .......... We are talking about a police department that Bombed a house full of black people but you naive people feel it is impossible for them to frame a black man?

Police exchanged fire with move members and Move were the first to fire. The orders to bomb the move compound were given by Mayor Wilson Goode (Black Man), Weeks after the bombing he was questioned by the media, he stated that he ordered the release of an "explosive device"
not a bomb.... this is true

I know the case well Malik. I am from Philadelphia. I lived there during the MOVE bombing. Just because we disagree on Mumia's innocence does not mean that we are not both freedom fighters. And my screen name is my real name. So no cowardice there. I appreciate your conviction and your passion just as I hope that you appreciate mine. It's a large movement. 99% last time I checked. There are bound to be differing opinions.

Hey, problem. Took a head count at Zuccotti and did the math: Roughly 100 occupiers present. Over the population of the City of New York (about 8.2 million) that means the movement is actually the .001%. And if we take that amount over the greater NY metro area (18 million plus) that's the .0005%. So I think it's just a wee bit, no scratch that, it's an OUTRIGHT LIE to represent as "the 99%". Perhaps that's part of why so few (.001% or .0005%, take your pick) take it seriously? I mean, I've done the math for SEVERAL locations and it's always about the same.

The problem with Jamal is, he takes a good picture. And he knows it.
As a result, there's a certain 'arousal factor' that has helped to glorify him by the less bright among us. I never got it. Why he's given a featured spot on this website yesterday (still here today) is beyond my understanding. More pointedly, do any of you really believe that this movement benefits in any form from an association with Love Eyes Jamal? Take down the posting. Thinking people don't give a fuck for his congratulations and I'm sure a vast hunk of this readership feels soiled by this odd choice of association.

This thing about Mumia has to go. The right has got it and are running with it. I blog and defend OWS but this makes it impossible. If you want to keep us, get it off here and just drop him like a bad habit at once!

You are going to lose support because you are glorifying the other 1% at the other end of the economic spectrum who don't care much about any inequality except when they are personally called out for some kind of criminal activity.

I've been to several free Mumia rallies over the years but strongly believe that posting the message from him is a bad idea and violates the leaderless horizontal anti-cult of personality spirit of the Occupy movement. I "joined" Occupy because it refused to fetishize celebrities, including political ones. It's also just terrible strategy (something I'd think Mumia would understand). So terrible that it makes me believe the website was hacked by saboteurs.

Hey Carlitos, it's shadz66, not shardz. @Shadz, I feel what you say about "heartfelt", and what buphiloman says about forgiveness; it's true. He has worked tirelessly for human rights. But oddly enough he hasn't ever come out and said what really happened. I'd like to hear his truthful story or I can't forgive especially as a supporter of non-violence.

THIS SUCKS
You can be certain that the 1% have heard you clearest of all.

Your work, however, is just beginning. You must deepen, strengthen, and further your work until it truly reaches the 99%, almost all of us: workers, black folk, Latinos and Latinas, LGBTs, immigrants, Asians, artists, all of us, for we are integral parts of the 99%. I salute you and hope fervently that you will grow beyond number.

Though I speak to you today by proxy, I'm confident that you will here my voice soon.

All pretense of OWS supposedly reaching across the political spectrum goes out the window with the decision to publish this message from a convicted cop-killer and darling of the left. A more tone-deaf move would be difficult to imagine.

I like the way you double talk... I want to try it too; "The purported can of shoe polish rocked the radio on tall shoes." You know know that Socialist nazi Dodge caravan haberdashery. HAHAHAHA I get ill with your throws to center straight. You know what I am saying? Yeah beeotches.

I've had more people suggest anatomically impossible acts in the last few weeks than in my entire life up to this point. This is the kind of scintillating dialogue that keeps me coming back for more. Thanks, flint.

How much further left-wing can you get than posting a message of support from a ultra left-wing convicted murderer on your site? I am beginning to think that your movement has been heavily infiltrated by people that want to isolate it in the remote reaches of the left-wing desert and destroy it.

Becoming divided is easy enough and that is how the 99% are manipulated.

It takes a wider view to overlook smaller issues and indiscretions, racial preferences and broad categorization of common people .

Crime is always a great divider and best left out of the argument if we wish to progress with cleaning up the big issues that cause social and economic minimization of the majority for the massive profit for the few.

We have an unjust society with too many in prison. We have crime being committed too frequently yet the massive crimes of the 1% are all but ignored.

Who sent an army to bomb civilians with more than a million casualties plus a million deaths. Were they criminals or do you let them off.

Work together in creating good change . Anyone can comment or wish Occupy well. Such a posting could well be emulated by millions of others. Regardless of whether innocent, or framed up or guilty, the message sent is positive.

If we are to get anywhere some serious confrontation of prejudice and judgments have to be faced and grappled with. This may be at both at a personal and institutional level.

Ha! That's what white supremacists say when they want to unite white people in their praise of Hitler, that 'the message sent is positive'. Give me a break it makes the movement look bad. What are you going to send praise and positive energy the way of pedophiles too???

Well perhaps you have taken me wrong as i certainly don't have any ulterior motives nor abide by the extremist philosophies of the groups you mentioned.

When a movement such as Occupy comes to public notice after decades of increasing control by a small internationally based ring of thugs, to the defeat of democracy and free speech, then some difficulties will arise as people express their various viewpoints and injustices they perceive. It would be strange indeed if everyone holding protest agreed on all things.

The main injustices are the important ones to act on. If it takes some restrictions on views expressed by this website then that can be a slippery path with obvious traps.

I agree that the controversy surrounding Mumia Abu-Jamal is divisive ranging from international recognition of his case as being a victim, to condemnation of the man on various fronts including conviction for murder.

I do not think his case is central to the Occupy movement and should not detract from it. The various opinions on the appropriateness of this posting range from support to opposition. It is healthy that opinions can be expressed either way if viewpoints are sincere. Perhaps OWS will take into account those viewpoints. It is a learning process for all as we haven't been here before.

While some may be content that they know it all I doubt whether collective wisdom is so single minded.

This White hater killed a White Police Officer. He's lucky that his death penalty was changed into life sentence. In my opinion this man doesn't have any place in our OWS-Global Revolution movement and our agenda.
This is not a place for those who advocate violence and the killing of Whites.

Can we get these "occupying" trash off the streets and put them in the garbage where they belong? Why can't we hose the lot of these dirty, immoral, Godless, disgusting, STD-ridden, slutty, crawling-with-parasites filth down with gasoline and toss a lit match into the lot of them? Enough. The ONLY people they're hurting are hard-working Americans. They're a bunch of stupid losers who are too lazy to work and who want to whine and cry and have tantrums until people give them what they want. I say middle-America occupies the occupiers with horsewhips, tarbrushes, bags of feathers and rails. Let's rid our streets of the Occupy garbage NOW!!!

Judging from the stupid comments i can see that OWS has been infiltrated with hostility and ignorance. If you do not like Mr. Abu-Jamal, read something else. That is the bottom line. ANd guess what Frances? Just because you work at OWS does not make you the judge and jury. Many of us other 99percenters respect and understand Mr. Abu-Jamals situation and are not put off or thinking that the OWS is supporting Mumia. You guys are starting to get full of your selves and that is just what the 1percent is hoping for. I support Mumia and know that I could easily sit in his place for the thoughts i think when i see the police beating and abusing year after year after generation after generation. Too bad you have no idea of what hatred and fear many of us have for law enforcement. I used to be full of myself but i am older now,

"OWS is supporting Mumia" This is precisely my problem with the prominent placement that this letter has been afforded. When did OWS decide that it was supporting Mumia? Is there a GA record of agreed upon consent that I am not aware of? You are correct when you state that I am not "the judge and jury". I can only speak for myself. I did not join a Free Mumia movement. I joined OWS. I am starting to feel that my allegiance is being taken advantage of by fringe groups looking to promote their causes. I was upset last week when I attended the Organizing Through Racial Justice workshop and discovered that the entire first part was dedicated to hearing from Mumia. I feel misled by the organizers in this respect. You are correct in another point. I am not a young black man. I do not know what it is like to live under the systems of oppression that have held you down in our society. But I am compassionate, I am educated, and I am aware of the enormity of your struggles. I fight everyday to make our society a just one for all people. If it makes you feel better to belittle me, than have at it. But I am still on your side, and always will be.

Why all this 'outrage' just because Mumia may or may not have killed a police officer, many years ago? This is really pathetic. Would you object to an Iraq war veteran speaking in support of OWS, for example, when he might well have had blood on his hands in the past? Would you even presume to first ask him if he'd killed someone in his 'tour of duty'? And if he had, would it be relevant? No.

Others here object to Mumia because he is 'ultra-left' and 'threatens the unity' of OWS. Well look here - OWS is a platform for as wide a range of political opinions as possible, and you can't exclude some people who are 'controversial' just to chase a watered down and elusive 'unity'.

For my part I'd have no objection to message of support from Ron Lawl, whom some might class as controversial because of his 'extreme' libertarian views. I might not agree with everything he says, does, or even what he may or may not have done in the past, but I respect the guy. In fact if Mumia and Ron Lawl appeared on the same OWS platform together, that's fine by me. I'd cheer them both equally.

Show some respect. Just note that Mumia's message ends with the words "love, fun and music', not 'kill, hate and destroy'.

Drawing moral equivalence between an army vet who killed someone in his service with a former Black Panther who killed a cop in cold blood is a GREAT way to win over the hearts and minds of the average American (yeah, sarcasm). Posts like this one are what says to the vast majority of us, "OWS is not for you. They don't think like you, the don't value what you value, and you are not welcome here."

An army vet who kills someone while invading another country is moral? Name any war after WWII that the USA has been involved in that we needed to be involved in solely for national defense and not out of greed. I know some people who go into the service, because they have an insane hunger to kill. Does that make them moral, because they are killing "for their country"?

Hey, look, there it is again..."America, you are not welcome here." swissmiss, you have to decide if this is what you want OWS to be about. If it is about condemning military vets as murderers, like in post-Vietnam days, it will disappear, guaranteed. It will lose vast numbers of supporters over an issue that has NOTHING to do with it's stated cause. Make your decision.

The anarchists who run this site are laughing their asses off at you OWS members. This post is just the most recent spit in your face. The only thing they want to "occupy" is your time by stirring up anger between you.

Though i personally morally support Jamal (though i could disagree with his selected tactics, if he really shot him) i don't deem it right to complicate matters with peoples' support now. The OWS movement is at a critical stage. We don't need to go after each and every "side issue" to give our enemies more to use against us. This one, as well as the right-to-abortion support from the movement as a movement, for me are morally correct but tactically incorrect. Let's deal with the banksters and get corporate corruption out of politics first before this "crisis" turns us all into chinese (as in, chinese-wage worker, no racism intended) and then we can deal with more.

The post on your website (occupywallst.org) Mumia Abu-Jamal:”To My Friends Of OWS” condones violence, Mumia Abu-Jamal is a convicted murderer. He shot and killed a police officer in Philadelphia and is serving a life sentence. Your homage to him is disrespectful to the family and friends of the slain officer, and sends the wrong message to Occupy Wall Street Participants. Please take it off or you'll be eliminating many potential people from your group who will not join the cause because of your poorly chosen sponsorship of Jamal. Ows is getting further and further away from the capability at making any substantive change because of the tangents the organization wonders off into. This Jamal letter is a prime example, introducing violence and playing the race card is very much in my view contrary to OWS values. Thank You

He is my friend. Guilty or not, he is my friend. The 99 percent covers a lot of ground, just the fact that you are trying to bulk everyone into the same group is proof that you are not an OWS supporter. You are too outraged over nothing to be a rebel, you are too supportive of the police who have beaten, lied and stomped on us with their big ass boots to be a rebel. You are a slave., a mindless drone who cannot think out of the box. If you think the police are an honest bunch, I have a bridge i want to sell you.

OK, let them all out of the prisons regardless of what they have done. Let them kill whoever they like.
get them a publisher and then have them preach about how righteous they are and claim they are innocent then a bunch of suckers will buy the crap and make them all rich.
You can all sleep with them in the mosque and live happily ever after.
You right I am not a supporter of murderers; Islamic terrorists or Islamic law!
And if they become a staple of OWS you can be DAM sure I will not be a part of it!

Wow Paul, you just tipped your hand. I am glad you wont be part of this movement because you sir, are a hater. If you are not a supporter of murder and terrorism you must not pay your taxes. No one is talking about letting murderers out of prison, and your rant about Muslims is very telling. Like I said, i have love in my heart for Mr. Abu Jamal, I like his radio show too. He is very smart and well spoken, knows much about life and says it respectfully. Sorry you cant be in the movement but i am sure you will find your place.

Your kidding right? People who murder are haters, And I don't hate the man but I do find him pityful.
How can he know so much about life if he has spent most of it behind bars?
This movement was about changing government and wall street not about some self serving cop killer. So let me get something else straight by what you say hear. I am to assume by what you say that people who pay their taxes also support murder and terrorism. you just insulted every tax paying American with your comment, congratulations you have just isolated the movement even further.

I rather see ten innocent people get mowed down in a hale of gunfire than see one grammatical error
especially in a formal document like this.......see where I'm going with this!
Sorry about by Dyslexia, I hope the misuse of the word “here” didn't offend you to severely. I don't double check those kinds of things because I consider chats casual and I avoid getting all caught up.

You aren't going anywhere with this. It is clear that your grammar is a personification of your irrationality. But please keep talking because every word that you write further goes to show that your opinions aren't to be taken seriously.... Have a very happy holiday. :)

I have never heard of this guy but the message is legit. Say, that reminds me.

The ugly truth. America's wealth is STILL being concentrated. When the rich get too rich, the poor get poorer. These latest figures prove it. AGAIN.
According to the Social Security Administration, 50 percent of U.S. workers made less than $26,364 in 2010. In addition, those making less than $200,000, or 99 percent of Americans (actually more like 98%), saw their earnings fall by $4.5 billion collectively.
The sobering numbers were a far cry from what was going on for the richest one percent of Americans.
The incomes of the top one percent of the wage scale in the U.S. rose in 2010; and their collective wage earnings jumped by $120 billion. In addition, those earning at least $1 million a year in wages, which is roughly 93,000 Americans, reported payroll income jumped 22 percent from 2009. Overall, the economy has shed 5.2 million jobs since the start of the Great Recession in 2007. It’s the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression in the 1930’s.
Another word about the first Great Depression. It really was a perfect storm. Caused almost entirely by greed. First, there was unprecedented economic growth. There was a massive building spree. There was a growing sense of optimism and materialism. There was a growing obsession for celebrities. The American people became spoiled, foolish, naive, brainwashed, and love-sick. They were bombarded with ads for one product or service after another. Encouraged to spend all of their money as if it were going out of style. Obscene profits were hoarded at the top. In 1928, the rich were already way ahead. Still, they were given huge tax breaks. All of this represented a MASSIVE transfer of wealth from poor to rich. Executives, entrepreneurs, developers, celebrities, and share holders. By 1929, America's wealthiest 1 percent had accumulated 44 percent of all United States wealth. The upper, middle, and lower classes were left to share the rest. When the lower majority finally ran low on money to spend, profits declined and the stock market crashed.
Of course, the rich threw a fit and started cutting jobs. They would stop at nothing to maintain their disgusting profit margins and ill-gotten obscene levels of wealth as long as possible. The small business owners did what they felt necessary to survive. They cut more jobs. The losses were felt primarily by the little guy. This created a domino effect. The middle class shrunk drastically and the lower class expanded. With less wealth in reserve and active circulation, banks failed by the hundreds. More jobs were cut. Unemployment reached 25% in 1933. The worst year of the Great Depression. Those who were employed had to settle for much lower wages. Millions went cold and hungry. The recovery involved a massive infusion of new currency, a public works program, a World War, and higher taxes on the rich. With so many men in the service, so many women on the production line, more currency, and those higher taxes to help pay for it, some US wealth was gradually transferred back down to the majority. This redistribution of wealth continued until the mid seventies. By 1976, the richest 1 percent held less than 20 percent of America's private wealth. The lower majority held the rest. It was the best year ever for the American middle and lower classes. And rightfully so. This was the recovery. A partial redistribution of wealth.
Then it began to concentrate all over again. Here we are 35 years later. The richest one percent now own over 40 percent of all US wealth. The upper, middle, and lower classes are sharing the rest. This is true even after taxes, welfare, financial aid, and charity. It is the underlying cause. No redistribution. No recovery.
Note: A knowledgable and trustworthy contributor has gone on record with a claim that effective tax rates for the rich were considerably lower than book rates during the years of redistribution that I have made reference to. His point was that the rich were able to avoid those very high marginal rates of 70-90% under the condition that they invested specifically in American jobs. His claim is that their effective tax rates probably never exceeded 39%. My belief is that if true, those rates were still considerably higher than the previous lows of '29' and the policies still would have contributed to a partial redistribution by forcing the rich to either share profits and potential income through job creation or share income through very high marginal tax rates. This knowledgable contributor and I agree that there was in effect, a redistribution but disagree on the use of the word.
One thing is clear from recent events. The government won't step in and do what's necessary. Not this time. Book rates for the rich remain at all time lows. Their corporate golden geese are subsidized. The benefits of corporate welfare are paid almost exclusively to the rich. It's up to us. Support small business more and big business less. Support the little guy more and the big guy less. It's tricky but not impossible.
For the good of society, stop giving so much of your money to rich people. Stop concentrating the wealth. This may be our last chance to prevent the worst economic depression in world history. No redistribution. No recovery.
Those of you who agree on these major issues are welcome to summarize this post, copy it, link to it, save it, show a friend, or spread the word in any fashion. Most major cities have daily call-in talk radio shows. You can reach thousands of people at once. They should know the ugly truth. Be sure to quote the figures which prove that America's wealth is still being concentrated. I don't care who takes the credit. We are up against a tiny but very powerful minority who have more influence on the masses than any other group in history. They have the means to reach millions at once with outrageous political and commercial propaganda. Those of us who speak the ugly truth must work incredibly hard just to be heard.

Nice...thanks for getting back to the whole point of this website.....the occupy movement...we are getting distracted by controversy and thus failing to focus on the actual problem : Maldistribution of wealth and corporate greed....

@ MC : Mate, please get a handle on paragraphing ;-) tho' I did I read your thoughtful post (monolithic block of text or not !!). Please read and refer to posters 'alouis' and shifty2's exchange above and the best wishes of the season to you and yours.

I'm really glad to here what this upstanding citizan has to say.
The prosecution also presented two witnesses who were at the hospital after the altercation. Hospital security guard Priscilla Durham and Police Officer Garry Bell testified that Abu-Jamal confessed in the hospital by saying, "I shot the motherfucker, and I hope the motherfucker dies

Why the hell is he sending shit out?? He's been locked up for years, and sucks money out of every Pennsylvanian. Usually I make some crack about the Occupyers not having jobs, but seriously, this guy hasn't contributed shit in 30 years. Not only that, but he was part of one of the most violent protestor gangs seen in this country. Fuck him. Or is it because he killed a cop?? If you want to align yourself with this piece of shit, you're gonna have an even harder time getting people on your side.

further more you talk about "putting in time" we put our lives on the line, the lives of our families. You gotta be kidding me. And you speak as if you was thier...basing your judgement on the fake testimony of racist cops.

The comments here regarding Mumia's message are amazingly and shockingly ignorant. Clearly, the posters (I imagine trolling) are spewing back the ugly and racist crappola courtesy of the Fraternal Order of Police. The facts of this case are completely in question while the racial component of this case is absolutely not in question and rancid to the core.

But that's not what Mumia's message is about: it's about one of the great revolutionaries and public intellectuals of the 20th and 21st Century who is in complete solidarity with the OWS Movement. You are lucky to have his courage and compassion on your side.

"But that's not what Mumia's message is about: it's about one of the great revolutionaries and public intellectuals of the 20th and 21st Century who is in complete solidarity with the OWS Movement. You are lucky to have his courage and compassion on your side".

Without what? A statement of solidarity from a lifelong revolutionary to a movement he believes in wholeheartedly? Mumia's advice to OWS (which he has written about and published much more than this short statement) is priceless advice from a veteran of fighting state power, corruption, and abuse. OWS is in its infancy. Its success depends on support from many corners of the globe - revolutionary movements ebb and flow over extended periods of time. Support is precious. Mumia is uniquely qualified and his voice is powerful.

Mumia is a violent revolutionary.....from what Iv'e gathered that is not the platform of OWS......or can anyone tell me differently. I do realize there are those involved who would incite violence but dont believe it is condoned by OWS.

You've gathered wrong... Mumia is not a violent revolutionary, that's a ludicrous statement based on the actual facts of his life. Have you read anything he's written (only 7 books published from Death Row)? Have you heard any of his 2,000+ essays broadcast around the world? Outside of the frame-up in 1981, where is there even a hint of violence in his life?

If you cite the Black Panthers you will prove how little you know about the time period and the Panthers' struggle against the most violent organization on the planet - the US Government. If you cite Mao's statement that he quoted about political power coming from the barrel of a gun - Mumia and others cite Mao's quote as a way of proving how the state's power exists from the barrel of a gun.

His life and his writings define a man of peace. Try opening your mind past the garbage spewed out by the FOP and their right wing henchmen.

Without this, a murderer not a martyr!
OWS success doesn't depend or using murderers as heroes, it's not about the spread of violence.
I guess Hitler and Charlie Manson are uniquely qualified to. But fortunately for us all
one is long dead, and the other two may GOD forever allow them to remain behind bars exactly where they belong.

well convicts are the 99% and have a right to have a say. i am not thrilled about the prominence with which his statement is displayed. i don't see ows proclaiming his innocence. this is a death penalty issue which is an ows issue. but we must be careful not to isolate people from the movement.

There is no way to tell if any person in jail right now should really be there. We are fed B.S. whenever the 1% want to railroad somebody for political reasons. I think we should let Jamal tell us his story of what actually happened.

I'm trying to understand what message you are trying to impart but it is difficult because it seems to be hypocritical. If as you say, "we can not let hatred and lawlessness overrun the movement" then where does your apparent hatred fit in within the movement?

The haters are here! They are alll over this WEB sight now. These are not the voices of OWS, these are voices that hate OWS. They cheer the NYPD and their violence against us. They agree with law enforcement no matter what and they have no idea of the hatred that is in law enforcement itself. Mumia has a voice and if you do not like it, move on. 99 percent is not about Mumia, but Mumia has many friends within the 99 percent. That will never change. Where was your outrage when innocent people were being beaten and pepper sprayed? The hate talk for Mumia sounds like a lynch mob not the intelligent voices of the OWS movement . LIke i said, the haters have arrived and they are here all over the comments. I do not confuse ones opinion for the voice of an entire movement.

I agree. Many of these people are not OWS supporters and are lying when they say they are. Not that I am personally hurt by this but I notice that my comment that summarized Mumia's case was voted down to -6 and therefore folded. A comment calling for Mumia to be shot behind his ears is not voted down. A racist posts "ebonics" slurs and he is not voted down. Not that I am concerned about being voted down. I know I say things that lots of people don't much care for. Telling to me though what sort of comment doesn't get booted by these same commenters.

I can put together any group of words, and unless I associate with there meaning in some way or act upon them, they remain only words. My outburst was direct at OWS for playing the race card in this way.
I think African Americans should be most outraged by this.

You did put together a group of words that expressed animosity and hostility. That is the definition of hatred.

"Screw him, no relationship to the movement whatsoever, he is self serving, we can not let hatred and lawlessness overrun this movement. This draws focus away for the core values of OWS!"

The act of murdering someone is not the definition of hatred. It is something else entirely.

Your outburst was directed in two separate identical replies toward ruralsupporter2 and toward PetadeAztlan who each disagreed with the original poster Frances. It was not, as far as I can tell directed toward OWS.

Like I said I could call you any number of names like idiot, screwball,scumbag, ass, whatever but they are just WORDS,
without knowing there intent that's all they are!
You should look-up screw in the dictionary if your looking to be definitive! animosity maybe yes for ruining a good thing that brings people together rather than pushes them apart!

That was for your benefit and yours alone Paul and it warms the cockles of my heart to see that you picked up on it. Now if you could learn to differentiate between their and there you will be on your way to understanding the difference between dissension and descension. Our next lesson will be the difference between two to and too. Whenever you are ready just let me know. LOL

I am the Petitioner in this action. If called as a witness I could and would testify to the following from my own personal knowledge:

I did not shoot Police Officer Daniel Faulkner. I had nothing to do with the killing of Officer Faulkner. I am innocent.

At my trial I was denied the right to defend myself, I had no confidence in my court-appointed attorney, who never even asked me what happened the night I was shot and the police officer was killed, and I was excluded from at least half the trial.

Since I was denied all my rights at my trial I did not testify. I would not be used to make it look like I had a fair trial.

I did not testify in the post-conviction proceedings in 1995 on the advice of my attorney, Leonard Weinglass, who specifically told me not to testify.

Now for the first time I have been given an opportunity to tell what happened to me in the early morning hours of December 9, 1981. This is what happened:

As a cabbie I often chose 13th and Locust Street because it was a popular club area with a lot of foot traffic.

I worked out of United Cab on the night of 12/9/81.

I believe I had recently returned from dropping off a fare in West Philly.

I was filling out my log when I heard some shouting.

I glanced in my rear view mirror and saw a flashing dome light of a police cruiser. This wasn't unusual.

I continued to fill out my log/trip sheet when I heard what sounded like gun shots.

I looked again into my rear view mirror and saw people running up and down Locust.

As I scanned I recognized my brother standing in the street staggering and dizzy.

I immediately exited the cab and ran to his scream.

As I came across the street I saw a uniformed cop turn toward me gun in hand, saw a flash and went down to my knees.

I closed my eyes and sat still trying to breath.

The next thing that I remember I felt myself being kicked, hit and being brought out of a stupor.

When I opened my eyes, I saw cops all around me.

They were hollering and cursing, grabbing and pulling on me. I felt faint finding it hard to talk.

As I looked through this cop crowd all around me, I saw my brother, blood running down his neck and a cop lying on his back on the pavement.

I was pulled to my feet and then rammed into a telephone pole beaten where I fell and thrown into a paddy wagon.

I think I slept until I heard the door open and a white cop in a white shirt came in cursing and hit me in the forehead.

I don't remember what he said much except a lot of "n-----s", "black motherfuckers" and what not.

I believe he left and I slept. I don't remember the wagon moving for a while and when it did for sometime.

I awoke to hear the driver speaking over the radio about his prisoner.

I was informed by the anonymous crackle on the radio that I was en route to the police administration building a few blocks away.

Then, it sounded like "I.D.'d as M-1" came on the radio band telling the driver to go to Jefferson Hospital.

Upon arrival I was thrown from the wagon to the ground and beaten.

I was beaten again at the doors of Jefferson.

Because of the blood in my lungs it was difficult to speak, and impossible to holler.

I never confessed to anything because I had nothing to confess to.

I never said I shot the policeman. I did not shoot the policeman.

I never said I hoped he died. I would never say something like that.
I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States that the above is true and correct and was executed by me on 3 May, 2001, at Waynesburg, Pennsylvania.
(signed)
MUMIA ABU-JAMAL